Love Is Thicker Than Blood
by TGICamiFriday
Summary: When Dafnie Ricamry is accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she learns about dark secrets involving her and that that there are some things that you can't run away from. Follows books 1-7, mostly canon compliant. Rated M for dark events, language and sexual relations. Everything you recognize is owned by J.K. Rowling; everything else belongs to me.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Dafnie Ricamry knew from a young age that she was different from the other children. She could make strange things happen when her emotions over-ruled her. When her parents didn't allow her to watch a certain program on the television, the channel would change to the one that she wanted to watch anyway. When the other children picked on her, their tongues would swell up and they were sent to the school nurse. Her parents were constantly making excuses for these occurrences, but even they were afraid to get on her bad side.

But the day Dafnie turned eleven, something rather unexpected happened.

It was a cool, grey day in March when Dafnie and her parents were getting ready to go out for her birthday dinner. Being a careless eleven year old, Dafnie hardly bothered with her appearance. Her dark, wavy hair was extra frizzy that day, and she didn't mind one bit. Her mother was always trying to get her to do something with it, but Dafnie didn't like to be bothered with things as trivial as her hair. She was waiting for her parents in the sitting room, reading a book, when there was a curt knock at the front door.

"Dafnie, dear, would you get the door?" her mother called from upstairs. Unlike her daughter, Mrs. Ricamry absolutely _had_ to make sure her hair was tamed before she left the house.

Dafnie obeyed and answered, finding their visitor to be the most peculiar man she had ever seen. He was an extremely old man with long, white hair and a long, white beard to match. His blue eyes were twinkling behind moon-shaped spectacles, and instead of wearing normal clothes, he was wearing violet robes. At a first glance, Dafnie almost mistook him for the character Merlin from the story of King Arthur. She stared up at him for a few moments as he smiled down at her.

"Ah, you must be Miss Ricamry," he smiled.

Dafnie nodded slowly, wondering how this man she had never seen before in her life knew who she was.

"Do you mind if I come in for a visit? There are a few things I would like to discuss with you and your parents," he said.

Not wanting to be rude to this elderly man, she nodded and stepped to the side, allowing her visitor to enter her home and closing the door behind him.

"Dafnie, who was at the door?" Mr. Ricamry, a handsome man in his forties, asked as he started walking down the stairs, straightening his tie. His hair was a lighter shade of brown, and his eyes were the color of milk chocolate. When he looked up, he stopped mid-way as his eyes fell on the strange looking man that was standing in the entryway. Mrs. Ricamry, who was a few steps behind her husband, almost crashed into him before she realized that there was a man in her house.

"Alas, how rude of me to barge in without introducing myself!" the man chuckled to himself before clearing his throat. "My name is Albus Dumbledore, and I am here to discuss your daughter and her future."

Mrs. Ricamry looked over at her husband uneasily. Mrs. Ricamry was a strict woman with perfect blonde hair and fair skin. Her eyes were as blue as the deepest oceans. Dafnie often wondered where she got her looks from, for her hair was a very dark brown, her eyes a bright gold, and her skin was olive toned. Unlike her mother, Dafnie constantly had to watch what she ate, for most of it stayed behind.

"How about we discuss this in the sitting room, where it will be more comfortable," Mrs. Ricamry said, pushing into her husband to continue his journey down the stairs. Albus Dumbledore merely smiled, as he gestured to his hosts to lead the way.

The Ricamrys sat on the sofa, allowing their guest to have the loveseat to himself across from them.

They sat there for a few seconds of awkward silence before Mrs. Ricamry broke it. "You said you are here to discuss Dafnie. She isn't in any trouble, is she?" Mrs. Ricamry asked, shooting her daughter a stern look that made Dafnie glare at her mother for automatically assuming that she had done something wrong.

Albus chuckled at this. "Oh, no, not at all. I just came to deliver my present to her personally and to answer any questions you have about it."

Before any of them could even open their mouths, he pulled out an envelope from his robes and handed it to Dafnie.

She slowly reached out and took it before she examined it. It was addressed to her in green ink, and on the back she noticed that it was sealed with wax. She found that rather odd, since people hardly ever sealed their letters with wax. Carefully, she opened the envelope and pulled the first letter out and read it out loud.

"_Dear Miss Ricamry,_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment._

_Term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall,_

_Deputy Headmistress_."

Dafnie looked up from her letter and stared at the man that had given it to her. Surely, this must be a joke. How could _she_ be a witch? It was just too absurd to be true.

"Excuse me, but... What?" her father finally asked.

"I'm a _witch_?" Dafnie asked.

Albus nodded. "It would appear so."

Mrs. Ricamry merely scoffed, ripping the letter from her daughter's hand. "Witches and wizards _don't_ _exist_. What kind of joke is this?"

The old man merely smiled and pulled out a knobby-looking stick, causing Mrs. Ricamry to snort. Mr. Ricamry and Dafnie both moved closer to the edge of the sofa, staring in wonder. Albus waved the stick at the candle that was sitting in the center of the coffee table between the two couches, and the candle transformed into a bird. It flapped its wings a few times before another wave, and it turned back into the candle it was.

"Is that enough proof, Mrs. Ricamry?" he asked. Mrs. Ricamry nodded slowly, still staring at the candle that was just a bird.

"Very well. Now, to discuss Dafnie's education at Hogwarts," he said.

"What exactly does Hogwarts teach?" Mr. Ricamry asked curiously.

"At Hogwarts, Miss Ricamry will learn not only how to use her magic, but how to control it. In her first year, she will be expected to take Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, History of Magic, Flying Lessons, Herbology, and Defense Against the Dark Arts. In her third year, she will be able to pick two extra-curricular classes to add to her schedule," Albus stated, pulling out a bag of lemon drops from his robes and offering the bag to his hosts, who all declined politely.

"Well... Can I go?" Dafnie finally asked her parents.

Mr. and Mrs. Ricamry both stared at each other for a few moments, mentally deciding if they would allow their only child to attend such a school.

"Well, if you'll learn how to control your magic and stop breaking everything we own every time you get upset, I suppose you really should go," Mrs. Ricamry finally sighed in defeat.

"Excellent!" Albus exclaimed cheerfully, clasping his hands together. "Now, let me tell you where to get her supplies, and how to get there..."


	2. First Year, Part One

Chapter One

Year One

Five months had passed since Dafnie received that unexpected visit that would forever change her life. Five months, and she had finally talked her mother into letting her father take her to London to get her school supplies in Diagon Alley. Being the skeptic she is, Mrs. Ricamry had tried to talk her daughter out of this nonsense that she had been brainwashed into, but Mr. Ricamry was encouraging Dafnie to be excited for this new journey she was about to start.

Mr. Ricamry and Dafnie had followed Albus Dumbledore's directions to the pub called The Leaky Cauldron, and they had entered Diagon Alley without any trouble. Mr. Ricamry was almost more excited than his daughter of the strange little world they had found themselves in. Mrs. Ricamry insisted that she stayed home, not wanting to believe any of the hoopla her family had been brought into.

"Okay, darling, where do you suppose we start first?" Mr. Ricamry asked, glancing around at all the shops and people walking about. Dafnie pulled out the list of school supplies she was to purchase.

"Well, I suppose we figure out where the bank is. Dumbledore said that our money wouldn't work and that we could have it transferred into wizard money," Dafnie said, folding up the list and shoving back into her pocket.

"Oh, yes. Very bright idea, Daf," he said, looking around for an idea of where the bank is.

They continued down the street, trying not to lose each other amongst the crowds of people. Dafnie had trouble not staring at the witches and wizards that were dressed in different colored robes, and the things that the shops sold. She was the first to spot a very large, white building with the name Gringott's in the front.

"I think that's the bank there," she pointed. Her father nodded, leading the way inside.

What was inside shocked the both of them. The entrance was made of light bricks and was lit with torches. Instead of normal bank tellers like they expected, there were little goblins running the desks. They had large noses and ears, and did not look very friendly. Dafnie noticed a girl and her parents talking to one goblin, and they had regular money that was being transfigured into wizard money. She led her father over to them.

"Um, excuse me, but are you also new to all of this?" Mr. Ricamry asked the girl's father.

He turned to face the two of them and nodded, smiling down at his daughter. "Our Hermione is going to Hogwarts in just a couple of weeks. We're so proud for her, and she's rather excited about going. It was quite a shock for all of us, though, having a witch in the family."

Dafnie examined the girl in front of her. Her brown hair was twice as bushy as hers, and her front teeth were rather large for her face.

"Hermione Granger," the girl smiled, extending her hand out.

Dafnie also extended her hand out, shaking it twice. "Dafnie Ricamry."

"I really hope it doesn't matter that my parents are non-magical. I really don't want to be behind our fellow classmates," Hermione said as the goblin finished up their transferring.

"I hadn't really thought about that," Dafnie stated quietly, stepping up with her father as he handed the goblin their money.

"It's all I've been thinking about. I can't wait to get home to practice everything I can. I want to be just as far along as the other students by the time term starts," Hermione said. Dafnie couldn't help but think that this girl was going to be quite the know-it-all at school.

"You don't mind if we tag along with you while we shop, do you? This is all very new to all of us, so why not help each other out?" Mr. Ricamry asked.

"Oh, not at all. In fact, we'd be more than happy to have you accompany us here," Mrs. Granger smiled kindly, resting a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

After they were done at Gringott's, they decided to head to the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts, to get the books first. Well, Hermione decided this for them all, being very eager to bury her face in them all at once.

"It says here that we need _The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1), A History of Magic, Magical Theory, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi, Magical Drafts and Potions, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, _and _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_. Wow, this is quite the list, isn't it?" Dafnie read off.

Hermione shrugged. "I'll probably have most of them read by the time we get there."

Dafnie could _really_ tell this girl was a know-it-all.

They purchased their assigned books, and then some, as Dafnie and Hermione both had found many of them to be quite interesting, and made their way across the street to a shop that was called Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. They entered the building to find rows and rows of robes and a short witch that was fitting another student with his robes. The boy looked around their age and was plump. It seemed as if he were with his grandmother, who looked to be very strict and wore a hat with a vulture on it.

"Just give me two seconds and I'll be right with you," Madam Malkin greeted as she finished up the boy's set of robes. A wave of her wand and he was finished. He smiled nervously at the two girls as his grandmother paid for his robes.

"Okay, Neville, let's get your books before they're all sold out," she said, noticing the stack of books that the girls' fathers were holding, rushing him out the door.

"Now, what do we have here? More Hogwarts students, I presume?" the witch said, pulling Dafnie and Hermione to stools to stand on while she fitted them.

"Yes, ma'am," they both said at the same time. Before they knew it, black robes were being pulled over their heads and the witch started magically fitting them.

"I don't recognize any of you. Muggle-borns, yes?" Madam Malkin asked.

"Muggle-borns?" Dafnie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Muggle-borns are witches and wizards that are born into non-magical families. The fact that you just asked me that question answers the one that I asked before. Not that it makes any difference," Madam Malkin added quickly. "In fact, some of the greatest witches and wizards I've ever met were muggle-born."

Dafnie heard Hermione let out a sigh of relief. Dafnie couldn't help but do the same. She was worried that she would be absolutely terrible once she got to school.

A few minutes later, and they were out the door, and on to the Apothecary to purchase their Potions needs. Twenty minutes later, and they looked down to see the last thing they would need.

"We need to find where they sell wands," Hermione stated as they exited the shop.

A wand. Dafnie almost forgot that she would be getting a wand, just like Dumbledore's. They walked down the street a bit before they found the wand shop, Ollivander's. The group entered, staring in awe at the shelves filled with hundreds of boxes that they imagined held wands. There was an elderly man at the front desk, smiling at his customers.

"Good afternoon, and welcome to Ollivander's Wand Shop. Who would like to test them out first?" he greeted.

Dafnie stepped up to the desk before Hermione could beat her to it. "I'll go first," she said.

"Very eager, I like that," Ollivander said, turning around to grab a few boxes. He pulled out a wand and handed it to her. "Here we are. Elm, phoenix feather, 10 1/2 inches, sturdy."

Dafnie took the wand he offered, and looked at him, questioning what she was to do with it.

"Give it a wave," he said.

She waved it at nothing in particular, and an entire shelf fell over. Quickly, Mr. Ollivander took it and placed it back into its proper box. "No, no... Let's see... Try this. Ash, unicorn hair, 11 inches, flexible."

Again, the wand caused nothing but disaster. She was given another one. Alder, phoenix feather, 12 inches. Before she could even do anything, he snatched it out of her hand and gave her another. She must have gone through twenty different wands before he sighed and handed her another.

"Try this. Vine, dragon heartstring, 12 1/2 inches, rigid."

As soon as it was placed in her hand, the wand started shooting silver sparks. "Ah, there we go! Perfect!" Mr. Ollivander exclaimed. Dafnie stared in amazement at the wand. _Her_ wand.

After she paid for it and Hermione had her wand, which took even longer than Dafnie's, they were on their way back to The Leaky Cauldron.

"Well, wasn't this an exciting day?" Mr. Ricamry smiled as they left the pub.

"Yes, thank you for accompanying us today. I'm sure we'll meet at King's Cross on the first to send them off to school," Mr. Granger said, shaking their hands.

"It was a pleasure meeting you," Dafnie smiled cordially at the Grangers.

"It was indeed. See you on the train!" Hermione said, and they made their separate ways.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

"I'm telling you, there is no such thing as Platform 9 3/4," Mrs. Ricamry repeated to her daughter as they paced back and forth between Platforms Nine and Ten. Dafnie didn't want to let her mother and father see, but she was growing worried. The train to Hogwarts would be leaving in ten minutes, and she had no idea where her platform was.

"You're wrong, mother. It's here... I know it is," she argued, looking for any sign of people that dressed differently.

"...It's the same thing every year. Packed with Muggles..." she heard a woman say not too far behind her. Dafnie looked around for whom the voice belonged to. She didn't have to look too hard to find the source; a stout woman with red hair, leading a group of red headed children.

They stopped next to Dafnie and her parents, who were watching the red haired family with curiosity.

"Alright, Percy, you go first," the woman gestured to the oldest of her children. Dafnie observed as the boy pushed his cart to the barrier between the two platforms, and as he touched it, it appeared as if he vanished into thin air.

"Fred, you next," she said.

"I'm not Fred, _he's_ Fred. Honestly, woman, you call yourself our mother?" he said, shaking his head.

"Sorry, George, dear," she sighed.

"I'm only joking, I am Fred," he chuckled and followed suit. His twin was right behind him.

Before Dafnie could ask the woman what and how she could follow them, a dark haired boy with glasses beat her to it.

"Excuse me," he said, pushing his cart towards the family of red heads.

"Oh, hello, dear. First time at Hogwarts? It's Ron's first year, too," the woman pointed to the youngest of her sons. He was tall with freckles, big feet and hands like a puppy, and a long nose.

"Yes, the thing is, I don't... I don't know how-" the dark haired boy stuttered.

"How to get onto the platform?" she finished kindly, and he nodded.

"Not to worry. All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop or you'll crash into it. Go on, now," she directed.

The boy nervously pushed his trolley towards the barrier, looking a tad afraid he'd crash. Dafnie couldn't blame him. This was just as new for him as it was for her. She watched as he approached it and disappeared before her eyes.

"Are you also new to this?" the woman asked, and Dafnie realized that she was talking to her.

"It's Dafnie's first year," Mr. Ricamry said, "and we're non-magical people, so unfortunately, we have no idea what to do when it comes to this Hogwarts stuff..."

"Oh, it's quite alright. Go on, dear. Just as I directed that boy. Just push your trolley straight into the barrier. And don't stop, that's very important," the woman smiled, a hand on her young daughter's shoulder.

Dafnie took a deep breath and exhaled, pushing the cart towards the barrier. She was waiting for the crash as she closed her eyes, but it never came. Instead, when she opened her eyes, there was a scarlet steam engine sitting next to a platform that was packed with students and their parents.

Mr. and Ricamry were right behind her, looking nervous and astonished as they came through the barrier between the two worlds. The red haired woman and her daughter followed behind them.

"Thank you," Dafnie said gratefully.

"Not a problem, dear," she said, before heading off to look for her children.

"Come along, Dafnie. Let's get you on the train," Mrs. Ricamry said, leading her daughter and husband closer to the train.

"Well, would you look at that...? Hogwarts Express. It's really real," Mr. Ricamry let out a breath of awe as they approached the train. Dafnie looked around at the other students. Many of them had owls and broomsticks with them as their parents hugged them good-bye. They continued down the platform looking for free compartments. Most of them had already been filled before they found an empty one near the end.

"Well, I suppose this is it," Dafnie said, turning to her parents.

Her father gave her a tight hug. "I want you to write us every week, telling us all about it there."

Dafnie nodded and turned to her mother.

"And behave yourself. I don't want a letter home saying you're in trouble every few days," Mrs. Ricamry said sternly. Dafnie nodded once. Mrs. Ricamry gave her a serious look before she looked around at the others and gave her daughter a quick hug.

"We'll miss you, Dafnie."

"I'll miss you, too, Mum," Dafnie said. She couldn't help but notice a tear in her mother's eye. It was a rare occasion to see her cry.

"Here, let me help you get your things up there," her father said, grabbing the luggage so Dafnie could step on the train. As soon as she was on, he handed the trunk to her. She smiled in thanks at her parents.

"I'll write as soon as I can," she promised as a whistle sounded.

Her parents nodded and waved as the train began to move. Dafnie waved back, and started to look for a free compartment. Most of them had already been filled before she found a nearly empty one. The dark haired boy from the platform was sitting by himself, staring out the window. She opened the sliding door and he looked up at her.

"Do you mind...?" she asked.

The boy shook his head and offered her a seat across from him. "Not at all," he said.

Dafnie pulled her luggage in and put it on the racks above them.

"I'm Dafnie Ricamry," she introduced herself.

"I'm Harry, Harry Potter," he said, extending his hand out. She shook it, and the door opened again. The red haired boy from earlier was standing there, a smudge of dirt on his nose.

"Is anyone else sitting in here? Everywhere else is full," he asked. Harry shook his head and the boy sat down. He was staring at Harry for a second before he looked up, and the boy quickly looked out the window.

The twins came by at the moment, telling them about a boy that had a giant tarantula somewhere in the middle of the train. Dafnie couldn't help but shudder, being deathly afraid of spiders, and prayed that it wouldn't escape its owner. They introduced themselves as Fred and George Weasley, and their younger brother was Ron.

They left, and there was a silence between the three of them before Ron broke it.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" he asked randomly. Dafnie looked at them, wondering how in the world this boy knew who the dark haired boy was. Harry nodded.

"Do... Do you really have...? You know..." Ron pointed at Harry's forehead.

Harry pulled back his bangs and revealed a lightning bolt-shaped scar.

"So that's where You-Know-Who-"

"Yes, but I can't remember it."

"Nothing?" Ron asked.

"Well, I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else," Harry explained.

"Wow," was all Ron could say. He sat there for a second before looking at Dafnie.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," he said, looking quite embarrassed for being so rude.

"Dafnie Ricamry," she said.

"Nice to meet you," he said.

"It's a pleasure," she said. "How did you know his name, by the way, and how do you know so much about him?" She jerked her head towards Harry.

"You don't know?" Ron asked, looking rather shocked.

Dafnie shook her head.

"He's the Boy Who Lived, of course! He's the one that defeated You-Know-Who as a _baby_!" he exclaimed, looking really appalled that Dafnie hadn't known.

"_Who_?" Dafnie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't tell me you don't know about You-Know-Who!"

Dafnie shook her head. Ron brought a hand to his head in complete shock.

"You must be a Muggle-born..."

"And if I am?" Dafnie snapped.

"Oh, there's nothing wrong with that! It's just _everyone _knows about You-Know-Who..." Ron said quickly.

"Well, obviously, I don't."

"Voldemort was an evil wizard that killed my parents, and when he tried to kill me, I guess he couldn't and he was defeated," Harry explained. Ron winced as Harry said the name _Voldemort_.

"Oh... I'm sorry..." Dafnie apologized, wishing she had never asked.

"It's fine. You didn't know," Harry said kindly.

There was another awkward silence. Dafnie and Ron started to watch the scenery as the train whizzed by.

"Are all your family wizards?" Harry asked Ron.

"Er, yes, I think so. I think Mum's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him," Ron answered.

"So you must know loads of magic already," Dafnie assumed. Ron shrugged.

"I heard you went to live with Muggles," Ron said to Harry. "What are they like?"

"Horrible. Well, not all of them are. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though," Harry shrugged and looked at Dafnie. "What is your family like?"

Dafnie shrugged. "They're alright. Mum's always been a bit of a stick in the mud, but Dad's okay. They're afraid of me, though. I tend to make things happen without being able to control it..."

"No siblings?" Ron asked. Dafnie shook her head.

"I wish I had three wizard brothers," Harry said.

"Five, actually," Ron sighed. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I have a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left. Bill was Head Boy and Charlie was Quidditch Captain. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

He reached inside his jacket and pulled out an old, fat, sleeping rat.

"This is Scabbers. He's completely useless, and he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being a prefect, but they couldn't aff- I mean, I got Scabbers instead," Ron's ears turned pink, and he stared out the window in embarrassment.

"I think he's lovely," Dafnie lied, looking at Scabbers. Ron had a small smile, and Dafnie couldn't tell if he knew she was lying or not.

Harry started telling them about having to also wear hand-me-downs and how horrible his family treated him until a half-giant named Hagrid came and told him about him being a wizard. When Harry spoke of Voldemort, Ron gasped.

"I can't believe you say his name!" Ron exclaimed. "I thought that you of all people-"

"What's wrong with saying _Voldemort_?" Dafnie asked, putting an emphasis on the name.

"We don't say his name. None of us," Ron said.

"I'm not trying to be brave or anything, I just never knew you shouldn't. See what I mean? I've got loads to learn... I bet..." Harry swallowed. "I bet I'm the worst in the class."

"No, I'm sure _I'll_ be the worst in the class," Dafnie sighed, resting her chin in her hands. "I've looked through all of the books, but I was afraid to actually _try _the spells, just in case I exploded my house or something..."

"Nah, you'll both be fine. Loads of people come from Muggle families, and they learn quick enough," Ron encouraged.

Dafnie and Harry both smiled, hoping this red haired boy was right about them.

Not too long after that, a smiling woman slid back the door. "Anything from the trolley, dears?" she asked sweetly.

Harry jumped up to look at what she had to offer, but Dafnie and Ron stayed behind. Ron muttered something about having sandwiches, but Dafnie noticed that he was just too embarrassed about not having the money to purchase anything. She couldn't help but feel bad for him. She wasn't exactly rich, but her family never had to worry about money issues.

Harry returned with an armful of sweets and sat down, tearing into a pasty.

"Hungry, are you?" Ron asked.

"Starving," he answered as he took a bite of a pumpkin pasty.

Ron took out a lumpy looking package and unwrapped it, looking at the sandwiches with great distaste. "She always forgets I hate corned beef..."

"Swap you for one of these," Harry offered.

"You don't want this. It's all dry," Ron said. "She hasn't got much time, you know, with all of us," he added quickly.

"Go on, have one. You too, Dafnie. I bought enough for all of us," Harry said, handing them both sweets.

"What are these?" Dafnie asked Ron, holding a package labeled _Chocolate Frogs_. "They're not really frogs, are they?"

"No, but check the card. I'm missing Agrippa..."

"What?" Harry and Dafnie both asked at the same time.

"Oh, of course, you wouldn't know... Chocolate Frogs have cards inside, you know, to collect. Famous witches and wizards. I've got about five hundred."

Harry and Dafnie looked at each other and shrugged as they opened their Chocolate Frogs. They picked up their cards and examined them.

"So _this_ is Dumbledore!" Harry said.

"Dumbledore? He was the one that came to my house and told me I was a witch!" Dafnie said, finally feeling as if she knew something he didn't.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of Dumbledore!" Ron exclaimed. "May I have one? I might get Agrippa... Thanks," he said as Harry tossed him a frog.

Dafnie looked down at hers. The card that she had was Morgan le Fay. Apparently, she ws the child of the Duke of Cornwall and Igraine, and she was a very powerful Dark Witch. Dafnie pocketed the card and took a bite of the frog.

"He's gone!" Harry exclaimed, turning his card over.

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day," Ron said. "He'll be back. Ugh, I've got Morgana again... Do you want her? You guys could start collecting."

Dafnie shook her head, offering it to Harry.

"You know, in the Muggle world, people just stay put in photos," Harry said.

"Do they? They don't move at all?" Ron asked, amazed. "Weird!"

Dafnie picked up a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans and started to open it.

"Be careful with those," Ron warned. "When they say every flavor, they mean _every flavor_. You get all the ordinary ones like chocolate and peppermint, but you can also get spinach, liver, and tripe. George swears he got a booger-flavored one once."

He picked up a green bean and bit into a corner. "Blaaargh! See? Sprouts."

After they had finished the good flavors, there was a knock on the door. The round-faced boy that Dafnie saw when she was getting her robes fitted came in, and he looked rather tearful.

"Sorry, but have you seen a toad at all?" he asked.

The three of them shook their heads, and he let out a sigh. "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!"

"He'll turn up," Harry encouraged.

"Perhaps if you put him in a carrier, you wouldn't have lost him," Dafnie said.

"Yes, I know. Well, if you see him..." he said before turning to leave.

"I don't know why he's so bothered," Ron shrugged. "If I'd brought a toad, I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."

The rat was still sleeping on Ron's lap.

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," Ron said. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. Here, I'll show you..."

He searched around his trunk and pulled out a battered-looking wand. It had chips and something white glinting at the end.

"Unicorn hair's poking out," he sighed. "Anyway-"

Just as he raised his wand, the door opened again. The boy from before was back, and this time, he brought someone with him. Someone Dafnie knew.

"Oh, hello, Dafnie! I hope the rest of your summer was nice. Anyway, have you seen a toad? Neville's lost his," Hermione Granger said. She was already dressed in her Hogwarts robes.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," Ron said.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it then," she said, sitting down next to Dafnie.

"Er, all right," Ron cleared his throat before continuing. "Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow. Turn this stupid fat rat yellow."

He waved his wand, but nothing happened.

"Are you sure that's a _real _spell?" Hermione asked. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells, and they've all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard. I've learned all our course books by heart; I just hope it will be enough. I'm Hermione Granger, by the way. Who are you?"

She said this all so fast, it was a wonder the three of them heard it all.

"Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Harry Potter," Harry said

Hermione was astonished. "Are you really? I know all about you, of course. I got a few extra books for background reading, and you're in _Modern Magical History_ and _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_ and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century_."

"Am I?" Harry asked.

"Goodness, didn't you know? I'd have found out everything I could if it was me," Hermione said. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You three had better change, you know. I expect we'll be arriving soon."

She was out the door before any of them could say good bye.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," Ron remarked, tossing his wand back in his trunk. "How do you know that girl, Dafnie?"

"We did our shopping together in Diagon Alley, since we're both new to all this magic stuff," Dafnie admitted, wishing Hermione hadn't recognized her.

"What house are your brothers in?" Harry asked.

"Gryffindor," Ron said, gloom in his voice. "Mum and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

"What's wrong with Slytherin?" Dafnie asked.

"That's the house You-Know-Who was in. Dad said there wasn't a witch or wizard that went bad who wasn't in Slytherin," Ron explained.

They started talking about what Ron's brothers did for wizarding careers, and then he explained the concept of Quidditch to Harry and Dafnie, a wizard sport that's played on broomsticks. He was explaining the finer details when the door slid open again, revealing three boys. The boy in the middle was pale and blonde, flocked by two thick boys.

"Is it true? They're saying that Harry Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?" the blonde boy asked.

"Yes," Harry said in a tone that sounded quite bored.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and Goyle," he said, nodding toward the boys on each side of him. "And I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron gave a slight cough, the kind you make when you're trying to hide a laugh. Draco looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask yours. Red hair, freckles, and hand-me-down clothes. You must be a Weasley," Draco scoffed before turning back to Harry. "You'll soon find out that some wizarding families are better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there," he said, offering his hand out to Harry.

Harry just looked at it before looking back up at Draco. "I think I can tell the wrong sort out for myself, thanks."

"I'd be careful if I were you, Potter. Unless you're a bit more polite, you'll go the same way as your parents. They didn't know what was good for them, either. You hang out with riffraff like the Weasleys and that Hagrid and it'll rub off on you," Draco sneered.

Both Harry and Ron stood up.

"Say that again," Ron dared, his face turning as red as his hair.

"You're going to fight us, now? Malfoy smirked.

"Unless you get out now," Harry warned.

Dafnie sighed and stood up between the boys. "Boys, boys, you're all pretty. Now, let's not start a fight, unless you all want to get expelled before we even get there."

At this, they all stepped back, not really wanting to hit a girl. Draco sneered at them before turning to leave. "Let's go, boys. We should get our uniforms on." And then they were gone.

"You've met Malfoy?" Ron asked Harry. Harry explained that they met while getting his robes fitted. Ron said that the Malfoy family were some of the first to return to the good side after Voldemort vanished, claiming to be bewitched.

Hermione was back a few minutes later. "You haven't been fighting have you?" And you better hurry up and put your robes on! We're nearly there!"

"We weren't fighting," Ron said a little too quickly. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"All right, but really. Get your robes on," she turned to leave before turning back to look at Ron. "You've got dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know?"

Ron glared as she left, and rubbed his nose. They put their robes on, having already having the rest of the uniform on to begin with. Dafnie couldn't help but notice that Ron's robes were a bit too short for him, as you could see his shoes.

A voice echoed throughout the train: "We will be reaching Hogsmeade in five minutes. Please leave your luggage on the train, as it will be taken to the school separately."

Dafnie felt her heart beat faster. She was almost there. She was going to be at Hogwarts in five minutes.

The train started to slow down before it came to a complete stop. The three of them left the compartment and followed their fellow students out the door and onto a tiny, dark platform. The night was cool, causing Dafnie to shiver.

"Firs' years! Firs' years overe here! All right there, Harry?" came a booming voice. Dafnie looked up and saw the biggest man she had ever seen in all her life. He was about eight feet tall and had a long, scraggly, black beard. Dafnie suspected him to be the half-giant named Hagrid that Harry had talked about.

"Follow me! Any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now!" Hagrid ordered.

They followed him down a steep, narrow path. None of them said much, except for Neville, who kept sniffing.

"Y'all get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called out. "Jus' round this bend, here."

Dafnie joined in with the loud "Ooooooh!"

The path opened onto a huge black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers, the windows gleaming in the starry night.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid said, pointing to many little boats sitting by the shore. Having lost Harry and Ron in the crowd, Dafnie got into a boat with Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle.

"Everyone in?" Hagrid asked. "Right then. FORWARD!"

The boats all moved at once, gliding across the dark lake. Dafnie stared in awe at the castle that she was going to spend the year in. This was her new home.

They sailed nearer to the cliff that the castle stood upon. "Heads down!" Hagrid warned as the boats approached a curtain of ivy. They continued along a dark tunnel until they reached an underground harbor.

"Oy, you there! Is this yer toad?" Hagrid said as he checked the boats.

"Trevor!" Neville exclaimed as he held out his hands for Hagrid to place his toad.

They continued the journey up a flight of stone steps and waited around the huge front door. Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times until the castle door swung open.

The students were greeted by a very stern looking witch with greying black hair and emerald-green robes. Dafnie was immediately reminded of her grandmother.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here," she said, pulling the door open wide to reveal the entrance hall. Dafnie thought that it could fit maybe two houses inside it. The stone walls were lit with torches, and there was a grand staircase that Dafnie wanted to explore.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family here at Hogwarts. You will have classes with your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn house points. Any rule breaking and you will lose them. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the House Cup.

The Sorting Ceremony will take place in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

She looked around at the crowd with stern eyes. "I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." And with that, she left the chamber.

Dafnie swallowed nervously. What would the Sorting Ceremony consist of? Was she expected to cast spells to determine her house? Why hadn't she asked Ron if he knew how they were sorted?

She was lost in her thoughts when several people behind her screamed. She turned in time to see about twenty ghosts streaming through the back wall. A fat ghost was talking about forgetting and forgiving, while another was saying that a fellow ghost had given them a bad name. He looked at the students as if he just noticed them.

"I say, what are you all doing here?" the ghost wearing a ruff and tights asked.

The students didn't say a word.

"New students!" The Fat Friar exclaimed. "About to be Sorted, I assume?"

A few students nodded.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff! My old house, you know."

Professor McGonagall returned. "Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony's about to begin."

The ghosts started to float away through the opposite wall. Dafnie always knew ghosts were real, but her mother would always come up with a logical explanation for paranormal activity.

"Now form a line and follow me," Professor McGonagall directed.

Dafnie got behind the boy called Neville, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors that led to the Great Hall.

She let out a gasp as she entered. It was lit by thousands of candles that were floating overhead above four long tables that had the older students already sitting at them. At the top of the hall was another long table where the professors were sitting. Professor McGonagall led them up to the front of the hall. Dafnie looked up at the ceiling and noticed that it appeared as if there was no ceiling, but the night sky.

"It's bewitched to look like the night sky. I read about it in _Hogwarts, A History_," Hermione whispered to her. Dafnie nodded once, wishing this girl wouldn't ruin the magic for her.

Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of it, she placed an old wizard's hat. It had many patches and frays and was extremely dirty. Dafnie watched impatiently, wondering if they were to try to fix it with magic. She felt a bit better knowing that she remembered to grab her wand before she left the train, just in case.

After a few seconds, the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened to form a mouth, and then it began to sing:

"_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (thought I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The entire hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and was silenced once again.

Dafnie sighed in relief. All she had to do was put the bloody thing on. Simple enough.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward, holding a long roll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will sit on the stool, put the hat on, and be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"

A girl with blonde pigtails stumbled forward and had the hat placed on her head as she sat down.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat bellowed, and the table on the right cheered as Hannah joined them.

"Bones, Susan!" McGonagall called.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat shouted as it was placed on her head.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Brown, Lavender!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table, Dafnie noticed, were the loudest as their first Gryffindor joined them.

"Bulstrode, Millicent!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Crabbe, Vincent!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Finnigan, Seamus!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Goyle, Gregory!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione nearly ran to the stool and eagerly placed the hat on her head. The hat was silent for a few minutes before shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Dafnie heard Ron groan at this.

"Lestrange, Abraxas!"

Dafnie watched as a tall, skinny boy with fair skin and dark, wild, curly hair step forward. She heard Draco mutter behind her, "That's my good-for-nothing cousin. He lives with me and my family because his parents are in Azkaban."

Neville gulped noisily as the boy sat and the hat was placed. Dafnie wondered if Neville and the boy knew each other.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Draco scoffed as his cousin walked over to the Ravenclaw table.

"Longbottom, Neville!" Professor McGonagall called.

Once again, the hat took a few minutes deciding where to place Neville before finally shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Neville ran off, still wearing the hat, and ran back to return it to the stool.

"Malfoy, Draco!"

Draco swaggered forward and sat down. The hat had barely touched his head before shouting "SLYTHERIN!"

Draco smirked as he joined his cohorts at the Slytherin table.

Other students were called, and Dafnie grew even more nervous. What if she were placed in Hufflepuff, which she thought looked a tad boring.

"Potter, Harry!"

Whispers broke out amongst the students as Harry sat on the stool. The hat deliberated for about thirty seconds before bellowing "GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor table couldn't look any more pleased that they had acquired the famous Harry Potter.

"Ricamry, Dafnie!"

Dafnie stepped forward, holding her breath as she sat down and had the hat placed over her head. The hat slipped over her eyes and began whispering in her ear.

"Ah, a great mind... Would be good for Ravenclaw, but no... Has a good heart, I see... Willing to prove yourself worthy... A thirst for power... You want to show that you are just as good as the others... Very ambitious... Yes, yes. I know... Better be... SLYTHERIN!"

The hat was lifted from her head as she joined the Slytherin table. Draco made Crabbe scoot down, making room for her. "Glad to see _somebody_ that has a good mind," he smirked. Dafnie smiled back as the hat sorted Dean Thomas into Gryffindor.

"Weasley, Ronald!"

She watched Ron step forward nervously.

"Watch, Weasley will end up in Hufflepuff," Draco mused before the hat called out "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Zabini, Blaise!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

And that was the end of the Sorting Ceremony. Dafnie let out a sigh of relief. She was practically starving at this point, and thought she couldn't bear another second of waiting for the feast to begin.

Albus Dumbledore rose to his feet, beaming at the students at their respectful tables.

"Welcome," he greeted. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

He sat back down and everyone cheered. Dafnie couldn't help but hold back a laugh, and then the the tables were suddenly crowded with food. Roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops, lamb chops, sausages, bacon, steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and peppermint humbugs.

Dafnie piled her plate with a variety of different meats and potatoes and began digging in.

"_Ricamry_," Draco said. "Can't say I've heard the name before."

Dafnie considered his words before swallowing a bit of steak. "That's because we hadn't met before."

"Obviously. But we know _all_ of the pureblood families worth knowing."

Dafnie shrugged. "Who ever said I was a pureblood?"

"You must be a half-blood. I guess it's better than being a Mudblood. They shouldn't even be allowed in," Draco sneered in between bites of pork.

She didn't continue that conversation. She didn't know what a Mudblood was, but she knew that she didn't want Draco knowing that her parents were Muggles. That seemed rather embarrassing to say to him.

The ghosts had begun entering the Great Hall. The ghost that was covered in blood began welcoming the first years to Slytherin.

"Draco, I overheard you mentioning your cousin. Don't all family members get sorted into the same house?" Dafnie asked.

Draco scoffed. "Abraxas? He's strange anyway. He wouldn't fit in with us."

"Doesn't he live with you?"

"Yeah. His parents are in Azkaban for torturing Longbottom's parents. I can't imagine what they would say if they knew their only son had been sorted into Ravenclaw."

Dafnie guessed that Azkaban was a prison. Why else would they be there if they had tortured Neville's parents?

The platters of food disappeared, and then reappeared with a variety of different desserts. Dafnie helped herself to a bit of pie, not being entirely hungry any more.

As she ate, she noticed one of the professors talking to another that was wearing a turban. He had greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and was wearing black robes. He took a moment to stare at the Gryffindor table, particularly in Harry's direction. Unlike most people in the hall, he was staring in great distaste.

"Draco? Who's that teacher next to the one in the turban?" she asked curiously.

"Him? That's Professor Snape, Head of Slytherin. He's my godfather, you know. And he's quite fond of his Slytherin students, so it's good you were sorted into the right house," he explained.

She watched as Harry noticed his staring, and Professor Snape quickly looked away, returning to his conversation with the other professor.

After a little while, the desserts disappeared, leaving the platters as clean as they were when Dafnie had sat down. Professor Dumbledore stood once again, and the hall went quiet again.

"Ahem, just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you.

"First years should know that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all students. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well," he said, glancing over at the Gryffindor table.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used in between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a most painful death."

A few students laughed at this statement; Draco merely scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"And now, bedtime! Off you trot!" Dumbledore said, dismissing the students with a wave of his hand.

The students began filing out of the Great Hall, table by table. The Slytherin prefect, Gemma Farley, directed the first year Slytherins to follow her.

She led the out of the hall, down the stairs to the dungeons. They followed her down the dark hallway and to a wall between two snake statues. Gemma stepped forward and spoke very clearly, "_Giant squid."_

The wall opened up to reveal a huge room with green stone bricks. The curtains were also an emerald color, draped around giant windows that told them that they were underground. The windows showed the depths of the Hogwarts lake, and there were schools of fish swimming around. The fireplace was located between the two windows, and there were emerald couches and lamps all around. A giant bookcase was located on the wall opposite of the fireplace.

There were many "Oooohs!" from the first years, and Dafnie, herself, was amazed. Why would anyone not want to be in Slytherin? It didn't seem too bad to her.

"Now remember," Gemma said to them all, "The password changes every fortnight, so remember to check the bulletin board for the new password regularly. I won't be responsible for making sure all of you dunderheads are up to speed. Girls' dormitories are to the left, and the boys', to the right. All of your things have already been brought up."

She dismissed them and led the girls to their dormitories.

"Okay, Millicent Bulstrode, Pansy Parkinson, and Dafnie Ricamry. You'll be in this dorm," she directed the three girls to a small dorm to the left and directed the other girls to follow her to their assigned rooms.

Millicent, a large girl, pushed passed them. Dafnie and Pansy both looked at each other, wishing they could throw her out of the room. They entered the dorm and saw three four-poster beds with green silk hangings. Dafnie walked over to the bed with the best window and sat down. The bedspreads were also green and were embroidered with silver thread.

"I was going to sleep there," Millicent said to Dafnie, arms crossed and glaring.

"Obviously, I was just a bit too quick for you. Besides, I don't think you'd want me to hex your face so full of hair that would take days to get rid of," Dafnie remarked in a bored tone.

The girl opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't think of anything witty to say, so she turned to the bed across from her. "This one's more comfortable anyway."

Pleased with herself, Dafnie began to undress and put her nightgown on. As promised, her luggage had been brought to her dorm while she was at the feast.

As she laid in bed that night, her mind began running quickly with tomorrow's classes. She couldn't wait for her classes to begin. She was absolutely excited to begin her lessons as a witch.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

"I really don't see what the big deal is," Pansy remarked as she poured herself a cup of pumpkin juice at breakfast the next morning. "He's not that special."

Dafnie glanced over at the other tables and noticed a lot of students pointing and whispering in Harry's direction.

"He's not that bad. He doesn't really know how famous he actually is," Dafnie shrugged, poking at her eggs with a fork.

"He's still not that great," Pansy said.

Pansy Parkinson was a very talkative girl as Dafnie got to know her. She came from a pureblood family and happened to know details of almost every student in the school.

Draco sat down across from Dafnie, blocking her view of the Gryffindor table.

"Good morning, ladies," he smirked.

"Morning, Draco," Dafnie greeted. "Sleep well?"

Draco shrugged. "The beds here aren't nearly as comfortable as my bed back at home. And my room could fit half of the common room in it."

Draco Malfoy liked to brag and complain about almost everything and anything he talked about. Dafnie noticed that his parents liked to spoil him with anything he could ever wish for, and then some.

"Oh, look! Professor Snape is handing out our schedules!" Pansy pointed out excitedly. Dafnie looked down the table and saw the tall professor indeed handing out the schedules to the Slytherin table. It wasn't too long before he had made his way down to where Dafnie, Draco, Vincent, Gregory, and Pansy were sitting together.

"Good morning, Professor," Draco greeted with a coy smile on his face.

"Draco," Professor Snape drawled, handing him his schedule.

Dafnie looked up at him as he gave the others their schedules.

"Dafnie Ricamry, is it? I don't think Slytherin has had a Muggle-born sorted in this house in quite a few years. You must feel quite honored," Snape remarked as he held out her schedule.

The Slytherins around her looked over at her at this remark, some of them sniggering.

"Yes, sir," she said, blushing, and quickly snatched the schedule from his hand and tucked it in her bag before he finished handing out the last few schedules he had in his hand.

"_You're_ a _Muggle-born_?" Draco asked, holding back a laugh.

Dafnie's eyes lowered to her barely touched breakfast.

"I can't believe the hat would allow a _Mudblood_ into Slytherin," an older boy named Marcus Flint sneered.

She felt the tears hot in her eyes. She knew that this would happen if her fellow Slytherins found out her parentage. She quickly grabbed her bag and fled from the table, the laughs of the other Slytherins following behind her as she left the Great Hall.

Running as fast as she could, she ran down the stairs to the dungeons. At the time, she didn't care if she would be late for her first lessons of the day. She just wanted to escape the mocking that she would be receiving for the rest of her time here at Hogwarts. She didn't even notice where she was running until she bumped into something dark and fell backwards.

"Why don't you watch where you're going?" a deep, cold voice asked.

Dafnie looked up and saw the cold, dark eyes of Professor Snape.

"S-sorry," she muttered, standing up and continuing her way down the dungeons.

"And _where_ exactly are you going, Miss Ricamry? I am almost positive your lessons are about to start here very shortly," he said, grabbing a hold of the back of her robes and pulling her back towards him.

"I, uhm... I'm just going for a run," she lied, refusing to look him in the eye.

"Is that so?"

Dafnie nodded a bit too quickly.

"Do you always have tears in your eyes when you go for morning runs?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dafnie looked down at the ground, not saying a word.

"Is there a reason why you are crying, Miss Ricamry?"

Dafnie sighed and looked up at her professor. She could tell even though he was trying to look uncaring that he was actually concerned for her well-being.

"The others... They called me a... a... Well, I don't really know what it means, but I know it was an insult and they laughed at me," she whispered.

"What did they call you?"

"I think they said I was a Mudblood," Dafnie winced.

Professor Snape sighed, putting a hand on her shoulder and leading her out of the dungeons. "Don't let their words make you feel inferior, Miss Ricamry. Do you know what it means to be a pureblood in the Wizardry World?"

Dafnie shook her head, feeling embarrassed not knowing diddly-squat of the world that she had been invited into.

"Pureblood families marry other relatives to keep their line free of Muggles. Inbreds, to say the least."

Dafnie let out a small laugh.

"Do _you_ want to be one of those inbreds, Miss Ricamry?" he asked seriously.

She shook her head and sighed. "No, sir, I do not."

"Then be happy that your blood is not what they call _pure_. Be happy to not have parents that are also cousins."

Dafnie looked up at her superior. "Are you a Muggle-born, too, Professor?"

He shook his head. "No, I am not a Muggle-born. But my father was a Muggle, making me a Half-blood."

"Were you picked on as a student?" she asked without thinking.

He paused for a second before looking down at the girl. "We're all picked on at some point of our lives," he drawled as he continued leading her up to the entrance hall.

"Thank you, Professor, for your words," she finally said after a few moments.

"Yes, now you better hurry up and get to your first class. You don't want to give your other professors a bad first impression," he ordered, turning around to head back to the dungeons as she sprinted up the stairs and to her first class.

Dafnie's lessons were even more than she expected. Every Wednesday night at midnight, she and her other classmates had to study the night skies and learn the names of stars and the movements of the planets.

Three times a week, they had Herbology in the greenhouses with a short, portly witch named Professor Sprout. There, they learned about different kinds of magical plants and fungi and how to take care of them.

Dafnie found History of Magic to be the most boring class she had ever taken. Professor Binns, a ghost with a very monotone voice, taught them about different witches and wizards throughout history and what they did to become so famous.

Her Charms class was taught by a tiny wizard, Professor Flitwick. He seemed to be rather nice and excitable, which Dafnie liked about the class.

Professor McGonagall taught Transfiguration, and Dafnie learned that McGonagall was a very strict teacher, allowing zero nonsense in her class. Dafnie was a bit bummed when she learned that they wouldn't be doing any advanced Transfiguration lessons for a while, only turning needles into matches and back again. She wasn't surprised at all when Hermione Granger was the first to do it successfully.

Defense Against the Dark Arts wasn't as exciting as she thought it would be. Professor Quirrell, the professor in the turban, stuttered a lot and the classroom smelled like garlic. Some students claimed that the garlic was to ward off a vampire that Professor Quirrell was afraid of. Dafnie had a hard time believing any of the stories he told, since he couldn't answer a Gryffindor's question of how he got rid of a zombie in Africa.

On Friday as Dafnie sat at the Slytherin table eating a bit of toast, Draco appeared with a smug look on his face. After everyone found out about her parentage, Draco and Pansy wrote it off, claiming that there must have been a good reason she was placed in Slytherin, and that was more than enough reason to ignore the fact that she was Muggle-born. Other Slytherins weren't as forgetting.

"What's got you all excited this morning?" Dafnie asked as he sat down next to her.

"We've got Double Potions this morning with the Gryffindors," he said. "Which means Gryffindor will lose some points today."

"You seem so sure of yourself, Draco," Dafnie remarked.

"I think I know my godfather's habits a little bit more than you do, Dafnie," he smirked.

Dafnie sighed. "I'm sure you do, Draco."

Pansy and Dafnie left breakfast early to head down to Potions. They didn't want to be late for their first lesson with the Head of Slytherin, and Pansy wanted to get the best seats in the class.

They didn't have to wait for class to begin for too long before Professor Snape entered, his black robes billowing out after him.

"There will be no wand waving, or foolish incantations in this class," he said, walking up to the front of the class. "Furthermore, I do not expect all of you to appreciate the subtle science that is potion-making. I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death... That is, of course, if you are not the group of dunderheads that I usually have to teach," he finished, eyes glaring across the room before he pulled out a roll of parchment and began taking roll call.

When he got to a certain name, he looked up, sneering at a table that seated Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.

"Ah, yes," he said softly. "Harry Potter, our new celebrity."

Draco, and his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, sniggered from behind Dafnie and Pansy.

"Potter!" Professor Snape snapped, causing all of the students to sit up straight in their seats. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Hermione and Dafnie's hand both shot up in the air at the same time. Dafnie couldn't help but feel relieved, knowing she made a smart decision to read the potions book while she was at home.

Professor Snape's eyes darted to Dafnie for a second before returning to glare at Harry.

"I don't know, sir," Harry said.

"Don't know? Well, Miss Ricamry, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

"Asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as Draught of the Living Dead," Dafnie recited by heart.

"Very good. Five points to Slytherin," Snape smirked. "Let's try again, Potter. Where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

Again, Dafnie and Hermione both raised their hands at once, glancing at each other for a second. Hermione tried to make herself appear taller.

"I suppose I would look in your cabinets," Harry shrugged, and other students laughed.

"Silence! Ten points from Gryffindor," Snape said, causing the students to stop laughing at once, except for a few Slytherins. "Miss Ricamry, do you have a _decent_ answer for me?"

"Yes, sir. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat, and it will save you from most poisons," Dafnie said.

"Correct. Another five points to Slytherin," he said. Professor Snape returned his attention to Harry.

"One more, Potter. What is the difference between monkshood and wolfbane?"

Hermione stood up, hand in the air. Dafnie remained in her seat, her hand raised.

"I don't know, sir. But Hermione here seems to know. Why don't you ask her instead of giving all of the points to Slytherin?" Harry said coolly. A few people laughed, but Professor Snape was having none of it.

"Sit down, silly girl. Another ten points from Gryffindor, for your cheek, Potter," he glared. "Miss Ricamry, do you have an answer for me?"

"Monkshood and wolfbane are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite, Professor," Dafnie said.

"Five points to Slytherin," Snape said, looking at the other students. "Well... Why aren't the rest of you copying these answers down?"

All at once, quills and parchment were being searched for by the students. "And when you are finished with that, you and your neighbor will be attempting to brew a simple potion that will cure boils. _If_, that is, you can handle something so simple."

If Professor Snape expected them to brew it correctly, then he had very high expectations. Hardly anyone, especially the Gryffindors, brewed it correctly in his eyes. He swept around the classroom, his robes billowing out, observing them as they dried nettles and crushed snake fangs into a fine powder. He criticized nearly everyone except for Dafnie and Draco. He used the two as examples the others should look up to in this class. Neville Longbottom showed the class that he was obviously incapable of brewing the potion, for he managed to melt Seamus Finnigan's cauldron, causing their potion to leak onto the floor and burning holes in people's shoes. Neville had it worse out of everyone; the potion had drenched the front of his robes, and red boils appeared all over his arms and legs.

"Idiot boy!" Snape snarled as he waved his wand, cleaning up the mess the boy had just made. "I suppose you added porcupine quills _before_ taking the cauldron off the fire?"

Neville let out a small whimper as an answer, boils now appearing all over his face.

"You, take him to the hospital wing," he said, pointing at Seamus.

He then turned to Harry, who was working next to them with Ron. "Potter, why didn't you tell him not to add the quills? Thought he'd make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? Another point from Gryffindor."

Harry opened his mouth to say something, and then quickly closed it. Dafnie was very thankful that she hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor.

An hour later, Professor Snape dismissed the class after he had made sure that everyone had cleared their work space. "Miss Ricamry, a moment please before you leave," he said as everyone started to exit in a hurry.

She looked at Pansy for a quick second, letting her know to go on without her and she'd catch up before walking up to Professor Snape's desk where he was grading papers.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" she asked.

"I was just wondering if you were having any trouble with the other students," he said, not looking up from his grading.

"Um, no, sir. Not really."

"As you could probably tell from today, blood purity hardly matters when it comes to the talent of potion making," he remarked, glancing up.

Dafnie nodded, not really knowing what to say.

"You seem to have quite a natural talent in Potions, Miss Ricamry. Not too many of the dunderheads I teach impress me as you have today."

Th-thank you, sir," she said quietly.

His quill stopped as he looked up at her. She shuffled her feet, feeling rather uneasy as his black eyes pierced into hers. It felt as if he were staring into her soul.

"That is all, Miss Ricamry," he said, returning to his grading without another word.

She nodded once before turning to exit the classroom.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

It was a Thursday morning that Dafnie found herself walking out to the grounds of Hogwarts for their first flying lesson with Madam Hooch.

"I really don't need the lessons, you know," Draco bragged on the way down. "I've been flying ever since I was a toddler. Dumbledore really should bend the rules for me since first years aren't allowed to make the Quidditch team."

"Is it difficult, flying?" Dafnie asked nervously.

"Not if you have a brain. If a toddler can fly, then I'm sure a Mud- I mean, I'm sure you can," Draco quickly corrected. He still called other Muggle-borns Mudbloods, but he tried not to do it around her. Dafnie felt a little better about this, since he was trying for her. She could tell that he never did that for anyone, so the fact that he was going against his own beliefs for her was enough reason to call him a friend.

The Slytherins were the first to arrive, followed shortly by the Gryffindors. Dafnie sighed at this; every time they had a lesson with them, Draco did his best to show off.

Before he could start instigating with Harry, Madam Hooch, a witch with short, grey hair and vibrant yellow eyes, arrived.

"Well, what are you lot waiting for?" she asked. "Everyone stand by a broom. Hurry up!"

The students all rushed to stand next to a broom.

"Stick your right hand over your broom, and say 'Up!'"

"UP!" the students shouted.

Dafnie's old broom hardly moved at all, but Harry's and Draco's had both flew up to their hands. She noticed that Hermione's hardly moved as well, and Neville's didn't budge.

When they all had finally ordered their brooms to their hands, Madam Hooch instructed them to mount their brooms without sliding off the ends. She walked over to where Dafnie and Draco were and shook her head.

"You're mounting your broom wrong," she remarked at Draco.

"Nonsense. I've been flying for years," he sneered.

"Well, you've been doing it wrong for years, then," she snapped back, showing him how to properly mount a broom. Dafnie let out a small giggle before he glared at her, making her stop.

"Now, when I blow my whistle, kick off from the ground, hard," Madam Hooch instructed. "Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by slightly leaning forward. On my whistle. Three, two-"

Before she could blow into the whistle, Neville kicked off the ground nervously.

"Come back down, boy!" she shouted as Neville's broom rose straight up into the air. Higher and higher he went before he slipped off and hit the ground, his broom drifting toward the Forbidden Forest.

Madam Hooch rushed over to where he lay, both of their faces bone white.

"Oh, dear... Broken wrist," she muttered, examining his arm. "Come on boy. It's all right. Up you get."

She helped Neville up before turning to the rest of the class. "None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing. Leave those brooms on the ground, or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch!'" She led Neville away from the others.

As soon as they were gone, Draco started laughing. "Did you see his face, the great lump?"

"Shut up, Malfoy," an Indian girl in Gryffindor, Parvati Patil, snapped.

"Sticking up for Longbottom?" Pansy teased. "Never thought you'd like fat, little crybabies."

Dafnie looked at the ground where something was glittering in the grass. "What's that over there?" she pointed.

"Look!" Draco exclaimed, walking forward and picking it up. "It's that stupid thing Longbottom's gran sent him!"

"What is it?" Dafnie asked.

"It's a Remembrall, of course!" he laughed.

"Give it here, Malfoy," Harry said, stepping forward.

Draco grinned nastily. "No, I don't think so. I think I'll leave it for Longbottom to find. How about... Up a tree?"

A few of the Slytherins laughed, while Dafnie rolled her eyes. "Leave it, Draco," she muttered quietly.

"I said, give it here!" Harry demanded, but Draco ignored them both and hopped onto his broom and flew off. "Come and get it, Potter!"

Harry glared for a moment before grabbing his broom. Hermione grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Harry, no!" she shouted. "Madam Hooch told us _not_ to move! You'll get us all in trouble!"

He ignored her and kicked off the ground, chasing after Draco. Dafnie watched as they yelled at each other. Harry's broom sped after Draco, but he moved out of the way before Harry could knock him off his broom. Before Dafnie could yell at Draco to get back down to the ground, he threw the glass ball high into the air. Harry chased it, and just before it hit the ground, caught it in his hands. A few of the Gryffindors began to cheer before a shrill voice yelled out.

"HARRY POTTER!" Professor McGonagall was running toward them.

"Never in all my years at Hogwarts..." she started saying. "How dare you... Might have broken your neck..."

"It wasn't his fault!" Parvati exclaimed.

"Quiet, Miss Patil."

"But Malfoy-"

"Enough, Mr. Weasley! Potter, follow me."

Dafnie watched as Harry followed his head of house, a gloomy look on his face.

"He'll be expelled for sure," Draco said with triumph in his voice and a smirk on his face.

"You just got lucky she hadn't caught you in the air as well, Draco," Dafnie said sternly.

He shrugged carelessly. "But she didn't, so who cares? At least we've gotten rid of Potter so soon."

Dafnie sighed at his bigheadedness. "Now you just have to worry about Weasley getting back at you."

"Him? Please, I have nothing to worry about."

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

Dafnie was sitting in the armchair next to the fire writing her essay for Transfiguration when Draco, Vincent, and Gregory came storming into the common room.

"What's got your wand in a knot?" she asked, hardly looking up from her parchment.

"Potter! He hasn't been expelled!" he exclaimed and sat down on the sofa next to her.

"Is this supposed to upset me?" she raised an eyebrow as she continued to write.

"Of course it is! But that's fine," he said, an evil grin spreading across his face. "I have a plan that will get him sent back to his filthy Muggle relatives by tomorrow morning. No offense."

"Don't do anything that will get you into any trouble, Draco," Dafnie warned. "I'll kill you if you manage to lose any hard earned house points."

"Oh, stop it. You're starting to sound like Granger."

"I'm just saying don't get caught. I swear, this rivalry between you is very immature."

"What do _you_ know, you filthy Mudblood?" Vincent sneered. Dafnie's head snapped up from her essay to glare at the fat boy sitting next to Draco.

"Just because Draco allows you to follow him around for your obesity, Vincent, doesn't give you the right to open your nasty little mouth," she snarled.

"Watch your mouth, Ricamry," Gregory warned.

"Crabbe. Goyle. She's right. Both of you sound smarter with your mouths shut," Draco said lazily. With that, the two kept quiet, but glared nastily at the girl in the armchair.

"Well, if I can't talk you out of doing whatever it is you plan on doing," Dafnie sighed as she rolled up her parchment, "then just be careful. And _don't_ get caught."

"Oh, trust me," he smirked. "I won't."

She bid Draco good night before she trotted off to her dormitory, wondering what on earth Draco had planned to do to get Harry expelled for good.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

"I see that whatever you had planned last night to get Potter expelled didn't work," Dafnie stated the next morning at breakfast.

Draco quickly looked around to see that Harry and Ron were indeed still there, looking tired, but cheerful nonetheless. He turned back to Dafnie, looking quite glum about that.

"And you managed not to lose any house points," Dafnie smirked. "I'm very proud of you, Draco."

"Hush up, Dafnie," he snapped, stabbing a bit of bacon furiously.

Dafnie giggled at him as the morning owls swooped in to deliver the mail. Dafnie hardly ever got anything aside from a weekly letter from her parents, but Draco was constantly receiving care packages from his mother and father.

That morning, her parents had informed her that they were going on a trip to America to visit Mr. Ricamry's sister for a couple weeks, so she should wait to send a reply until they return. She sighed, setting the letter aside. She had always wanted to go to visit her Aunt Renee in America, but her parents argued that it was too expensive to go, and she could wait until her aunt visited them every other year.

It wasn't a week later when the owls brought the morning mail and Dafnie and Draco, along with everybody else in the Great Hall, noticed six large owls carrying a long, thin package and dropping it in front of Harry Potter.

"What do you think Potter's got?" Pansy asked curiously.

"Dunno. Kind of looks like a broomstick though," Dafnie replied.

"That's impossible, Dafnie," Draco retorted. "First years _aren't_ allowed their own brooms. Father tried to fight that rule, but Dumbledore wouldn't back down."

"Well, now's your chance to find out. They're leaving the hall," Dafnie said, nodding towards the Gryffindor table. Sure enough, the dynamic duo were getting up and heading for the doors.

Just as Crabbe and Goyle sat down at the table, Draco pulled them back up and stormed after the to Gryffindors that were on their way out of the Great Hall.

"Boys," Dafnie sighed.

"It's pretty entertaining, you have to admit," Pansy giggled.

Dafnie watched as Draco took the package from Harry. They were arguing about something or another, and it looked like Ron was about to attack Draco when Professor Flitwick walked up next to him.

Relieved that she didn't have to rush over to break up a fight, Dafnie relaxed and got caught up into a conversation with Pansy about a band called The Weird Sisters. She hadn't noticed that Draco had returned with his bodyguards, looking angrier than Professor Snape on a bad day.

"I suppose that Potter really did get a broom," Dafnie guessed.

"A Nimbus Two Thousand," he grumbled. "Just wait until my father hears about this. To think he actually had the nerve to say that _I _was the reason he got it!"

"I hate to say it, but you kind of _did_ taunt him..." she said.

"Dafnie. Shut up," he snapped.

She glared at him for a second before setting her fork down. "Fine. You can mope all by yourself, because I will _not_ be listening to it today."

And with that, she stormed off toward the Charms corridor for her first lesson of the day.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o

On Halloween morning, the smell of pumpkin filled the entire castle, sending the school into a Halloween frenzy. Even Professor Flitwick seemed to be in the holiday spirit because he announced that they would be working on levitation that day. Dafnie was paired up with Pansy and they were instructed to try to make a feather float in midair.

"Now, don't forget the wrist movements we've been practicing!" Professor Flitwick squeaked from the top of the stack of books he usually stood on. "Swish and flick!"

Dafnie and Pansy tried and tried, but they couldn't get the feather to move at all. But they weren't the only ones that were having difficulties. Nobody seemed to be getting their feathers skyward. Dafnie heard Hermione and Ron arguing about wand movements and how he was pronouncing the spell.

"It's Wing-_gar_-dium Levi-_o_-sa. Make the 'gar' nice and long," Hermione snapped from a few tables down.

"You do it, then, if you're so clever," Ron said.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

When Dafnie looked over, Hermione had the feather about four feet in the air.

"Well done!" Professor Flitwick cheered. "See here, everyone! Miss Granger's done it!"

Dafnie looked back down at the feather, determined, and said, "Wingardium Leviosa!"

The feather at their desk lifted in the air, and the tiny professor gave praise to her as well.

At the end of the class, as they were leaving, Dafnie overheard Ron complaining about Hermione in front of her. He didn't realize that she and Hermione were right behind them.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her, she's a nightmare, honestly."

Dafnie stole a look from Hermione, who had tears in her eyes, before the bushy haired girl pushed through Harry and Ron.

"I think she heard you," Harry muttered.

"So? She must've noticed she's got no friends," Ron replied.

Appalled by his lack of common sense, Dafnie pulled on the back of their robes, turning them around so she could glare at them. "How rude could you _possibly_ be, Ronald? She was only trying to show you how to _properly_ say the bloody spell!"

She didn't wait for a reply as she hurried after the crying Gryffindor. She followed her into the girls' bathroom around the corridor. She heard Hermione sniffling in one of the stalls.

"Hermione?" she called out.

"Go away!" Hermione demanded through the stall.

Dafnie sighed and leaned against one of the sinks across from the stalls. "Don't listen to them, Hermione. They're boys. Stupid boys that obviously need help from a brilliant young woman to cast a simple Levitation Charm."

"But... He-he's right! I d-d-d-don't have an-any fr-fr-friends!" Hermione sobbed.

"That's not true..." Dafnie started to say.

"It is! Nobody h-here likes m-me! They all t-t-tease me, c-c-call me a know-it-all! Friends _don't_ call you n-names!"

Dafnie sighed. "I like you, Hermione. We may be in different houses, and I may not be what you consider a friend, but I don't think you're a nightmare."

Hermione sniffed a few times. "Just g-g-g-go away!"

Sighing again in defeat, Dafnie turned to leave. "If you need someone to talk to, you can find me in the library," she said and left Hermione to her tears.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

After her afternoon classes, Dafnie made her way to the library to get some of her homework done. Professor Snape had assigned the class an essay on Dreamless Sleep Potions, and wanted to get a good head start on it before the weekend arrived.

She grabbed a few books on potion making before she approached a table with a Ravenclaw student with wild dark hair. He seemed to be working on the same assignment that she was about to start.

"Ahem," she cleared her throat. The boy looked up, and she recognized him as Draco's cousin, Abraxas.

"Do you mind if I join you?" she asked.

The boy sneered. "Why? So you can insult me, too?"

Dafnie was confused. "Why would I insult you?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Never mind, have a seat," he said, offering her the seat across from him.

She set her books down on the table and took her seat. "I'm Dafnie Ricamry, by the way," she said.

"Abraxas. Abraxas... Lestrange," he added uncertainly, as if he was waiting for some sort of taunt.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Abraxas," she smiled.

He glanced up from his essay and stared at her questioningly. "Why are you talking to me?" he finally asked.

Dafnie stopped flipping through the pages of _One Thousand Herbs and Fungi and Where to Find Them _and looked him square in the eye. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Most of the students avoid me. They think I'm dangerous," he whispered, looking down at his book.

"Please, you don't look like much of a threat to me," she teased, returning to finding the page she was looking for.

"Don't judge a book by its cover."

They didn't say anything as they worked on their essays. Abraxas seemed to be a little jumpy every time Dafnie's hand moved to switch books.

"Draco said you're cousins," she finally said, breaking the silence after a while.

He shrugged. "I'm sure Draco says a lot about me."

"Not really. He's actually obsessed with trying to get Harry Potter expelled," she confessed. "If the topic's not Potter, then it's about what he'll tell his father."

Abraxas chuckled softly. "Yeah, that sounds like him."

They continued working in silence before he looked at his watch. "Blimey, we're going to be late for the Halloween Feast!" He quickly grabbed his books and shoved them in his bag before standing up to leave. Dafnie started to push her books into her bag as well when Abraxas turned around.

"It was nice meeting you, Dafnie," he said.

"The pleasure was all mine," she smiled back, and he turned around to leave.

She returned the books that she borrowed to their proper places and headed towards the door when a tall, dark figure blocked her from the exit.

"Good evening, Professor," Dafnie greeted.

"Miss Ricamry, why aren't you at the Halloween feast? It's about to start any moment now," Professor Snape drawled in his silky voice.

"I was just heading there now, actually," she said. "I was working on your essay and lost track of time."

He smirked. "Such an overachiever. I should have known you would be one. Most Muggle-borns are."

"Would you rather me be a procrastinating dunderhead, sir?" she asked, a small smile forming at her lips.

"Of course not. I can't bear another one in my classroom," he said, leading them out to the corridors and down to the Great Hall.

"Professor, may I ask you a question?" she asked uncertainly before they reached the doors.

"I suppose you could."

"You're close with the Malfoys... What would Draco's parents think if they knew that he was friends with... With someone like me?" she questioned. She couldn't help asking. The thought had been burning in her mind for a few weeks now, and she was too afraid to ask Draco in case he would lie to her, or if he would say what she most feared.

Professor Snape stopped walking and turned to her with his face serious and unreadable.

"Miss Ricamry, the Malfoys are the type of people that are with you one day, and when they think it will benefit them, turn on you and sell you out. Be very careful with what you tell Draco, and whatever you do, do _not_ let his parents know your parentage if you ever have the pleasure of meeting them," he said. "Is that clear?"

Dafnie nodded her head.

"Good. Now, enjoy your feast with your friends," he said, entering the Great Hall.

She entered after him, making her way to the Slytherin table to join her friends. Hundreds of bats were flying overhead. Jack-o-lanterns floated over the tables in place of the usual candles. The Great Hall definitely screamed Halloween.

"Where in the world _have_ you been?" Pansy asked as Dafnie sat between her and Draco. "We were worried sick that you had gotten lost or something."

"I was just studying in the library," she remarked, helping herself to a bit of chicken. Her eyes glanced over at the Gryffindor table, looking for a head with brown, bushy hair that was usually hard to miss. Her eyes moved up and down the table a few times before she realized Hermione was not present.

It was then when the doors burst open, and Professor Quirrell came running as fast as he could into the hall, his turban a tad askew and his face contorted in fear.

"_TROLL! IN THE DUNGEONS! TROLL IN THE DUNGEONS!" _

When he had reached Professor Dumbledore, panting, he slumped against the table.

"Thought you ought to know," he gasped before falling to the floor in a dead faint.

The hall was quiet for a second before the students started an uproar. "Our common room is in the dungeons!" Draco shrieked, any sign that he was the fearless Slytherin he tried so hard to be vanished.

"_SILENCE!" _Professor Dumbledore bellowed and everyone stopped panicking.

"Prefects, lead your Houses back to your dormitories immediately! Professors will accompany me to the dungeons," he ordered.

"Slytherins, this way! Follow me," Gemma directed. "Although I have no idea _why_ we're going exactly where the troll had been located..."

As they left the hall, fear flooded Dafnie as she remembered that Hermione was still missing. She grabbed hold of Draco's robes.

"What are you doing?" he asked incredulously.

"Granger. She's not here," Dafnie explained.

"Well, that's not _my_ problem is it?" he said, pulling free of her grip.

"But Draco-!"

"It'll be one less Mudblood we have to deal with!" he barked before realizing what he just said. "Dafnie, you know I didn't mean it-"

"Never mind, Draco," she snarled. "I'll go look for her myself."

She ducked away from the prefects, going unnoticed as she snuck down to the bathroom that Hermione was last in.

As soon as she knew she wouldn't be spotted, she sprinted as fast as she could down the abandoned corridor that the bathroom Hermione had hidden out was. She burst into the bathroom, panting, and looked around.

"Hermione? Hermione, are you in here?" she breathed.

"What _now_?" Hermione asked, opening the stall door.

"Troll... In the dungeons... Who knows.. Where it is now," Dafnie panted, grabbing her arm and dragging her completely out of the stall. "We've got to get out of here. Now."

Hermione was about to say something when they smelled something horrid. "What is that _smell_?" she asked, pinching her nostrils together. The stench consisted of sweaty socks and a public restroom that you find in old rest stops.

Dafnie shook her head, trying to cover her nose. "Never mind the smell! We've got to _go_!"

Hermione's face froze in fear, and she pointed up behind Dafnie. Slowly, she turned to see what Hermione was pointing at, and when she saw, her eyes bugged out. The troll had made its way out of the dungeons, all right, and right into the girls' bathroom. It was about twelve feet tall, and had grey skin. Its head was too small for its huge, lumpy body, and its legs were as thick as tree trunks. In one of its long, lanky arms held a huge club that was almost as big as the two girls.

Dafnie's eyes darted from the troll to the door, and before she could figure out how they could maneuver around it, the door had shut. Hermione and Dafnie backed up quickly into the stall that the former had just come out of and shut the door. This didn't stop the troll. They ducked down just in time as the club swung, shattering the stalls. Hermione and Dafnie screamed as loud as they could, hoping that somebody, _anybody_, would come and save them.

They quickly crawled from the broken stalls to the wall opposite. The troll was advancing towards them, club breaking the sinks as it lumbered. Just then, their prayers were answered as the door opened and Harry and Ron ran inside.

Harry grabbed a broken tap from the ground and threw it against the wall. The troll's eyes darted around the room before they landed on Harry. It looked back towards the two girls, cowering in fear, before it made for him, lifting the club again.

"Oy, pea-brain!" Ron yelled from the other side, throwing a metal pipe that hit the troll's shoulder. It stopped again, and turned towards Ron.

Harry ran around the troll, pulling the girls from the floor. "Come on, run, run!" he urged. Dafnie stumbled towards the door, but Hermione stayed glued to the wall.

"Dafnie! Run and get help!" Ron shouted.

Dafnie didn't need telling twice.

She rushed out of the bathroom, down the corridor, turning down the halls, hoping that she would run into an adult. Her heart skipped a beat as she heard voices coming from the hallway to the left. Dafnie turned down the hallway and skidded to a halt in front of Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Professor Quirrell.

"Miss Ricamry, what are you doing here?" Professor McGonagall gasped.

"No time, Professor! This way!" Dafnie panted, pulling on the arms of her professors. Before they could ask any questions, the young girl was already running down the corridor to the bathroom that her fellow students were trapped in.

She was almost there when a huge _THUD _sounded from the bathroom, causing the floor to shake. Dafnie prayed that she had gotten there in time with help and she pushed the door open. She sighed in relief as she saw the three Gryffindors shaken up, but unharmed, and the troll lying on the floor, apparently knocked out. The three professors almost bumped into her as they rushed through the door. Professor Quirrell took one look at the troll and let out a whimper.

Professor Snape bent over the troll, checking to see if it was alive. Professor McGonagall looked at Ron and Harry, anger flashing in her eyes.

"What were you thinking?" she shrieked. "You're lucky you weren't killed! Why aren't you in your dormitory?"

"Please, Professor, they were looking for me," Hermione declared in a small voice as she stood up from the corner she had been in when Dafnie left.

"Miss Granger!"

"I went looking for the troll because I- I thought I could deal with it on my own, you know, because I read all about them," she lied, looking down at her feet. "Dafnie followed me and tried to talk me out of it. I didn't listen to her, and then we were trapped in here by the troll. If Harry and Ron hadn't found us when they did, we'd probably be dead by now."

Professor Snape stared at Dafnie as if she had grown another head. She quickly looked away from his stare, and noticed that his robes had been torn, revealing a bleeding leg.

"Well, in that case..." Professor McGonagall said, staring at the four students. "Miss Granger, you foolish girl, how could you _think_ of tackling a mountain troll on your own?"

Hermione didn't answer, but hung her head in shame.

"Miss Granger, five points will be taken from Gryffindor for this," McGonagall said. "I am very disappointed in you. If you're not hurt, you'd better get to Gryffindor tower. Students are finishing the feast in their houses."

Without another word, Hermione left.

Professor McGonagall turned her attention to the other three.

"Well, I still say you were lucky, but not many first years could have taken on a full-grown mountain troll and live to tell the tale. Each of you will receive five points. Professor Dumbledore will be informed of this. You may go."

They hurried out of the bathroom. Dafnie nodded her farewell as the other two made their way to Gryffindor tower, and she headed down to the dungeons.

She was almost to the Slytherin common room before a voice stopped her dead in her tracks.

"_Ricamry_!" Professor Snape yelled from behind her.

She quickly spun around to see her Head of House rushing towards her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her against the wall.

"_What _was going through your mind when you chased after Miss Granger?" he snarled through his teeth.

Dafnie's heart pounded in her chest. Professor Snape had _never_ yelled at her.

"_Answer me_."

"I, I figured she would listen to me... I don't know, Professor. I saw her separating herself from her house members, and I-" Dafnie stuttered.

"Don't lie to me, Miss Ricamry. I know for a fact that Miss Granger wasn't at the Halloween Feast."

_Bullocks._

"How did you know where she was?" he asked, eyes glaring at her. She had never seen him so angry at anyone besides Harry or Neville.

She sighed in defeat. "I knew that she had missed the feast... She had been crying in the bathroom earlier, and I realized as we were leaving the Great Hall that she wouldn't have known about the troll. I couldn't just let that troll get her, Professor. If it did, then it would have haunted me for the rest of my life," she confessed.

He studied her face for a moment as if he were debating on whether she was lying to him or not. After a few seconds, he sighed and released his grip on her.

"How foolishly noble of you, Miss Ricamry," he sneered. "Are you sure you were sorted into the right house?"

A small smile appeared in her face. It was true. There were times where she laid in bed at night wondering if she was sorted into Slytherin by mistake. She had noticed how the Gryffindors looked passed Hermione Granger's parentage. As much as she enjoyed Slytherin's benefits, she could not get passed her fellow Slytherins' prejudice against her. "You know, Professor, sometimes I wonder the same thing."

"Very well," he drawled. "Get to your dormitory, before I take points from my own house for not being where you need to be."

She opened her mouth to argue the fact that she would have been there had he not stopped her, but thought better of it. She bid him good night and continued down to the entrance.

"Snake eyes," she said and the wall opened, allowing her entrance to the common room, where the other Slytherin students were finishing their meals.

Dafnie noticed that Draco was sitting in their usual spot by the fireplace with a worried look on his face. When he spotted her, relief appeared all over him as she walked up to him.

"Dafnie, look-" he started to say.

"Save it, Draco," she said. "I'm tired, and I only came over to say that I'm alive and well, with no help from you."

His eyes lowered in shame. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are. And I forgive you, but you are on probation until you prove yourself worthy of my attention," she said, and before he could open his mouth, she had already turned and walked in the direction of the girls' dormitories.

She shrugged her robes off and kicked off her Mary-Janes. Too tired to get completely undressed, she fell into her bed and stared out the window as the giant squid swam passed until she drifted off into a deep sleep.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

November brought cold weather as October died, and the school began to chatter with talk of this year's Quidditch season. Slytherin would be playing against Gryffindor on Saturday. Apparently, Harry Potter had been named Gryffindor's Seeker, although first years were usually strictly forbidden against playing.

After Halloween, Dafnie had become not quite friends with the three Gryffindors, but they were cordial towards each other in the halls, and sometimes, Hermione and Dafnie studied together in the library.

Dafnie had also noticed that after Halloween, Professor Snape had been walking with a slight limp in the leg that had been injured that night. When she asked about it, he wrote her off, saying that it was just a minor injury he had acquired while in the Forbidden Forest collecting different ingredients for Potions. Of course, Dafnie didn't believe him, but she didn't bring the subject up again.

It was Saturday morning, and instead of joining the rest of her fellow students in the Quidditch excitement, Dafnie found herself sitting alone in the library working on homework that wasn't due until the next week. She was so caught up in her studying that she didn't notice someone approaching her table.

"Dafnie, I might I ask you a favor?" Hermione's voice asked.

Dafnie looked up at the Gryffindor. "That would depend. I'm not going to be chasing after you while a troll is on the loose, am I?" she asked jokingly.

"Not exactly," Hermione said, sitting down. "I actually need you to retrieve a library book from Professor Snape for me. You see, he took it from Harry yesterday, and when he went to ask for it, Snape yelled at him. I need you to tell him that you tried checking it out, but it had been already checked out by me."

"Sounds simple enough," Dafnie shrugged, knowing Harry had better luck trying to go fishing for the giant squid than asking Professor Snape for a book. "What's the book called?"

Hermione refused to meet her eyes. "_Quidditch Through the Ages."_

Dafnie scoffed. "Yeah, right. Professor Snape knows I would _never _want to read a book on Quidditch."

"Please, Dafnie, this is really important. He really needs that book, and if you could-"

"Okay, okay, I'll do it. But you owe me, Granger."

Hermione smiled her big, toothy grin. "Thank you so much!" she said, before running off to join the other students that were heading down to the Quidditch pitch.

Dafnie sighed as she packed her books back into her bag and left to search for Professor Snape. It was still relatively early, so she figured he would be in his office in the dungeons.

She knocked three times on his office door before a curt "Enter," allowed her in.

He looked up from a potion he was brewing to see who was disturbing him so early in the day.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Professor, but I was told you might have something I was looking for," she said, closing the door behind her.

"That would depend entirely on what it is you are looking for, Miss Ricamry," he drawled, adding a sprinkle of black beetle eyes to the cauldron.

"A book, you see," she began, walking over to his desk. "I went to check it out, but Madam Pince said it had already been checked out."

"If the book has been checked out, then I am afraid I can't help you," he said.

"Well, Professor, when I went up to the last person that had it checked out, she said that you confiscated it."

"She?"

"Yes, sir. Hermione Granger."

"I confiscated a book from Potter," he remarked, stirring the potion counter-clockwise.

"Yes, because she had let him borrow it. When she told me that you had it, I thought that maybe you would let me read it, and then I would return it to Granger when I'm finished with it."

Professor Snape glanced up at her for a moment, reading her face. "Miss Ricamry, why on earth would you out of all people be interested in reading a book about Quidditch?"

Her heart sunk. This was not going to work.

"Everyone is so caught up in the Quidditch hoopla that I figured I should at least read about it, you know, so I could get a better understanding of it," she lied.

"Luckily for you, there is a Quidditch match today," he sneered.

"Yes, but I would rather read about it first than waste my time watching it played against Gryffindor. Especially since Potter has somehow managed to make the team," she added for good measure.

"I see," he said, pulling out his wand and waving it in the direction of one of the cabinets. The cabinet door opened and the book _Quidditch Through the Ages_ flew into her hand.

"Thank you so much, Professor," she smiled.

"Yes, yes, now get out before I change my mind and take it back," he said, turning back to his potion.

Dafnie nodded her head once in thanks before she left him to his work and ran up the stairs and back to the library that was completely empty except for Madam Pince, who was putting library books in their proper place.

The girl sat down at one of the tables and pulled her homework out, determined to finish as much as possible before the school would be once again filled with the obnoxious students.

"Why on earth aren't you down at the Quidditch pitch with the other students?" Madam Pince asked.

Dafnie shrugged. "Too much work to do. And sports have never been my cup of tea, to be completely honest."

The old lady sighed, muttering something about students working too hard on the weekends before she left to retrieve more books from her desk.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

The Slytherins had been in a foul mood after the Quidditch match, so Dafnie had assumed that Gryffindor had won the game. She didn't understand how something as trivial as Quidditch could put someone in such a bad mood.

Another thing she didn't understand were the accusations the three Gryffindors made when they had met her in the library afterwards to get the Quidditch book.

"Rubbish! Professor Snape would never try to kill a student!" Dafnie hissed at them after they had said that Professor Snape had tried to hex Harry off of his broomstick during the match.

"Of course you would say that! You're a _Slytherin_," Ron said, emphasizing the last word as if it were a nasty disease to have.

"You weren't there. We were, and we saw him muttering an incantation," Hermione stated. "And he wasn't breaking eye contact."

"How do you know he was trying to hex him?" Dafnie asked. "How do you know he wasn't trying to _save _him?"

"Who else in this school hates me as much as he does?" Harry asked, crossing his arms.

"If you haven't noticed, he hates all Gryffindors, not just you," she snarled. "Was he trying to jinx the rest of the team off their brooms? No. Trust me; he wouldn't try to get you killed."

"You're just sticking up for the greasy git because you're a teacher's pet," Ron said.

Dafnie had enough of this talk. "Excuse me, but if it weren't for this _teacher's pet_, where would that stupid book be right now? That's right. It would still be locked away in his office," she said, throwing her bag over her shoulder as she got up to leave. "And he's _not_ a greasy git!"

She stormed away from the table as Ron muttered something about her having a crush on the dungeon bat.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

Christmas was right around the corner, and Hogwarts had become chilly, especially down in the dungeons. Dafnie was thankful that she had learned how to make little blue flames in a jar that gave off heat, because her dormitory got extremely cold at night. She carried the jar with her everywhere she went, which was very handy, especially during Potions, where even the heat coming from their cauldrons wasn't nearly as comforting as it was just a month ago.

"I do feel sorry," Draco said loudly during Potions one day, "for all those people that have to stay at Hogwarts at Christmas because they're not wanted at home."

Dafnie knew that remark was directed towards Harry, but she couldn't help but feel a little hurt by it. She was, indeed, staying at Hogwarts over the holidays, for her parents had decided to go on another vacation out of the country, informing her that it would be cheaper for her to just stay there until the school year ended. Of course, she didn't tell any of her Slytherin friends this. They figured she would rather stay at Hogwarts than go home to her Muggle parents.

"I can't imagine how boring Christmas must be, living with Muggles," Draco said as they were leaving Potions. "I'd invite you to spend the holidays with me and my family, Dafnie, but I don't think Mother and Father would allow you on the property."

Dafnie nodded her head, not expressing that Christmas at Malfoy Manor sounded even worse than spending an entire day in History of Magic.

As they left the dungeons, they saw that the corridor ahead was blocked by a gigantic fir tree that was being pulled by Hagrid. Ron had asked if he needed any help, and Draco found this to be the perfect opportunity to harass the red head.

"Would you move out of the way?" he drawled. "Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley? Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose. That hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to."

Ron had turned to dive at him as Professor Snape appeared out of nowhere.

"WEASLEY!" he bellowed, and Ron let go of the front of Draco's robes.

"He was provoked, Professor," Hagrid said as his face appeared from behind the tree. "Malfoy was insultin' his family.

"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," Professor Snape said. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you."

Draco and his cronies pushed against the tree, smirking as needles scattered all over the floor.

Dafnie waited patiently as Hagrid pulled the tree out of the way and led the three Gryffindors into the Great Hall. She hadn't spoken to them since they had accused Snape of trying to kill Harry, and she wasn't about to follow them into the Great Hall to see the Christmas decorations. Instead, she decided to head to the owlery so she could have her parents' gifts delivered before they left for their holiday vacation.

Not having anyone close to shop for, she hadn't gotten much for anyone. She was sending her parents sweets that she had acquired from Draco every time his parents sent him gifts, knowing they'd appreciate the thought. She did get a gift for someone, but she was embarrassed to tell anyone this.

After she sent the owl on its way, she decided to head to the library to do a bit of studying before the holidays started. Most of the students would be leaving the next day, and Dafnie couldn't wait to have the school almost completely to herself.

She sat at her usual table, reading a book about famous witches and wizards, when she overheard the Gryffindor trio talking on the other side of the bookshelf.

"You will keep looking while I'm away, won't you?" said Hermione. "And send me an owl if you find anything."

"And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is," Ron said. "It'd be safe to ask them."

"Very safe, as they're both dentists."

_Flamel? Were they looking for information on Nicolas Flamel? _

If so, they wouldn't find any information in any books they were currently looking in, for Dafnie had the book they needed. In fact, she had just read about him. He was the alchemist that had invented the Philosopher's Stone, a stone that made you immortal if you used it. Still being upset about the whole Snape thing, she quietly got up and put the book somewhere that she knew they wouldn't even think to look.

Once the holidays started and most of the students had left, Dafnie found that she was indeed the only Slytherin that had planned on staying behind. It was very relaxing, yet, very lonesome. She had grown bored of sitting in the common room by herself, so she decided to take the time to explore the parts of the castle that she had yet to discover. She grabbed her bag and headed out of the common room.

She walked around for a while, opening doors of rooms that she had never entered before. Most of them were unused classrooms with chairs stacked against the walls. Some doors weren't even doors at all, but walls made to look like doors. Dafnie thought that such doors were a waste of space since they didn't have a point but to confuse others.

She found herself close to the library and huffed, wondering where she could go. She followed a corridor nearby and saw a door to her left that she hadn't discovered before. Curious, she opened the door, finding another unused classroom. She was just about to leave when something caught her eye.

A mirror as high as the ceiling was propped up against the wall across from the door. It had a golden frame and stood on two clawed feet. As she moved closer, she noticed an inscription along the top: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_. As she approached the mirror, she gasped at the reflection.

Instead of seeing herself, she saw a young woman, maybe around eighteen, with long, dark, wavy hair, much like hers, but less frizzy. Her skin was flawless, and her body had curves that any woman would die for. Dafnie's eyes looked down to her own body. She wasn't necessarily fat, but she had a few extra pounds around the middle. The woman was staring down at her with beautiful golden-hazel eyes, looking just as confused as Dafnie, and then smiled as another appeared in the mirror.

Dafnie froze as Professor Snape stepped into the frame, his hand protectively snaking around the woman's waist. She quickly turned around, but she was completely alone. She turned back to the reflection as the woman leaned against her professor, looking up at him with adoring eyes.

"Is that _me_? With _Professor Snape_?" Dafnie whispered to herself as she touched the glass. Then she wondered if the mirror was enchanted to show the future.

_Nonsense_, she thought, shaking her head. _Professor Snape is almost as old as my parents._

When the Professor Snape in the reflection bent down to kiss the dark haired woman passionately, her heart skipped a beat.

She quickly reached into her bag to pull out a spare bit of parchment and a quill and jotted the inscription down, promising herself that she would study the words as soon as she returned to the common room. She folded it up and shoved it into her pocket and darted for the door.

She exited the room as quietly as she could, closing the door behind her, and turned around the corner, crashing into the last person she wanted to see at the moment.

"Miss Ricamry, do you make a habit of crashing into your professors?" Professor Snape drawled.

"I'm sorry, sir," she apologized, trying to act as normal as possible.

"What are you doing here?"

"My parents are on vacation and wished for me to stay here," she explained, refusing to look him in the eyes.

"No, not here, I mean _here_. What are you doing in this corridor?" he sneered.

Dafnie felt her face turn red. "Exploring."

"Exploring?" he repeated, crossing him arms.

"Yes, sir."

"Interesting. And have you found anything worth exploring?"

_Just a mirror that showed you kissing my older self. _"Not really."

Professor Snape's lips curled into a smirk. Her eyes darted to the floor again, wondering if he could read her mind.

"What are _you _doing here? Shouldn't you be at home with your family?" Dafnie asked.

"I don't have a family, Miss Ricamry," he snapped.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Professor, I didn't-"

"Yes, it's fine, Miss Ricamry. You couldn't have possibly known."

They stood there in silence for a few moments, listening to the wind howl from the outside. She was still looking everywhere except for his eyes.

"Um, I have something for you..." Dafnie muttered as she dug around in her bag.

"Something for me?" he drawled curiously.

She nodded, finally finding what she was looking for.

"I know it's not much, and I probably shouldn't have, but you're the only person I thought of when I was Christmas shopping..." she trailed off, handing him a Christmas present wrapped in silver paper.

He stared down at the gift as if she were handing him a giant spider. "A gift?"

She nodded vigorously. "It's not much, but I figured you would like it. Here, take it." Dafnie shoved the package into his hand and readjusted her bag so it was hanging from her shoulder.

"Merry Christmas, Professor," she said before scurrying away towards the Slytherin common room.


	3. First Year, Part Two

Chapter Two

Year One Part II

Dafnie woke up on Christmas morning wishing that she had someone to spend the holiday with. She laid in bed planning her day out in her head, but thought of nothing remotely interesting after she planned to head to the Great Hall to see if there was anyone worth talking to.

She reluctantly got out of her bed and grabbed her magenta bathrobe, tying the rope tight around her body to conserve as much heat as possible as she tiptoed down the stairs to the common room.

Her eyes immediately fell upon the Christmas tree that had magically appeared overnight by the wall with the fireplace. Emerald and silver ornaments dangled from the branches, and on top of the tree was a floating star. She rushed over to the tree and kneeled down in front of her presents. Her parents had sent her a box of her favorite chocolates, Milka, which they had ordered from Germany. Her heart sunk a bit as she noticed that Draco had sent her a gift as well, earrings in the shape of snakes that changed colors when you touched them. Pansy had sent her a package of Cauldron Cakes, their favorite treat to eat together as they sat in the common room and gossiped about the hot topics in Hogwarts. She made a note to send them both something later that day.

There was another present, however, that she had almost missed entirely. She didn't expect her Gryffindors would send anything, not since they hadn't spoken in over a month, so she quickly dismissed the thought. The present had a note tied on top of it, so she opened the letter before ripping into the present.

_Miss Ricamry,_

_Thank you very much for the book. I had always wanted to read _Interview With a Vampire _growing up, but my father didn't allow any books that had to do with anything that he considered "absurd", and after I left home, I never had time to purchase and read it. _

_I hope you find this entertaining. It used to belong to my mother when she was a child, and she passed it along to me. Since I have no children and do not expect any, I am giving it to you._

_Have a nice Christmas,_

_Professor Snape_

Dafnie read the letter out loud a few times before the words had sunk in. Professor Snape liked the book she had gifted him, and he was giving her something that had belonged to his mother. She smiled, reaching for the package. She had guessed it was a book, for the package had a rectangle shape. She removed the string that held the green wrappings together and looked down at the battered copy of _Tales of Beedle the Bard_. Flipping through the pages as carefully as she could, for the binding was rather fragile, she decided that it was a book full of short stories that witches and wizards would read to their children.

"How very kind," she said to no one in particular, getting up and heading back to her dormitory, presents in her arms. She changed into a sweater and a pair of jeans, along with the earrings Draco had sent her.

Book in hand, she made her way to the library, hoping Madam Pince was around to repair the binding for her. Luckily, she arrived just as the librarian did.

"Merry Christmas, Madam Pince," she greeted kindly.

"Oh, Merlin! You snuck up on me!" the older woman exclaimed, clutching her robes. "Merry Christmas, dear. Now, please don't tell me you plan on spending your Christmas studying in the library," she sighed, opening the door.

"Not exactly, ma'am," Dafnie answered. "I was just hoping that you could repair the binding of this book. It's almost falling apart, and I don't want any pages falling out while I read it." She handed the book to Madam Pince, who nodded quickly.

"Oh, but of course, dear," she said, and with a wave of her wand, the book's binding appeared to be relatively new. She gave it back to the young girl, who had a huge grin on her face as she flipped the pages.

"Thank you so much, Madam Pince," she thanked. "And Merry Christmas!"

Madam Pince nodded at her, and Dafnie made her way down to the Great Hall for Christmas breakfast.

The hall looked simply magical, to say the least. Holly and mistletoe hung around the walls, and no less than twelve towering Christmas trees stood around the room; half of them with sparkling icicles, the other half with hundreds of candles.

Dafnie took a second to take the scenery in, never wanting to forget what her first Christmas at Hogwarts was like.

The tables were mostly empty, except for a few students here and there. The Gryffindor table sat the Weasley brothers and Harry. Dafnie didn't recognize the other students at Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. A few of the teachers sat at the High Table. Dumbledore smiled at her, and she tilted her head as a greeting.

She sat in the middle of the Slytherin table and helped herself to some gingerbread men that actually sang Christmas carols before they were devoured. Platters of ham, bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, waffles, and french toast surrounded her, and she added a bit of everything to her plate. She ate her breakfast in silence, aside from the gingerbread, reading her book. She found the stories inside more than fascinating; they had completely engulfed her. The stories were, in her opinion, much better than stories she had read in Grimm Fairytales. She completely forgot about her plate that had been pushed aside, and her breakfast grew cold.

She didn't even notice when the breakfast platters switched to lunch platters; roast turkeys, potatoes, peas, gravy, cranberry sauce all went ignored until someone came up to her.

"Ah, the Tale of the Three Brothers, a personal favorite of mine."

Dafnie looked up into the twinkling eyes of Professor Dumbledore, who was wearing a ridiculous flowered bonnet instead of his usual wizard's hat.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" he asked.

"Not at all, Professor," Dafnie said, marking her page with a spare bit of parchment from the inside of her bag and setting her book aside as she tried not to laugh.

"Are you enjoying your first year at Hogwarts?"

"I am. The lessons are all rather interesting, aside from History of Magic," she confessed. "Sometimes, I have trouble staying awake in that class."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Ah, yes, Professor Binns has always been a bit boring, even when I was a boy."

Dafnie tried to picture him as a youngster, but failed horribly. She could only imagine how old that would have made Professor Binns and if he were actually alive when he had been her headmaster's professor.

"It is hard to imagine me as a first year, isn't it?" he sighed, and Dafnie wondered if he had just read her mind.

"Professor Snape tells me you have a certain aptitude for Potions, am I correct?"

She blushed slightly. "I think he overestimates my abilities sometimes."

"I don't think so," Dumbledore said, picking out a peppermint treat from one of the dishes and popping it into his mouth. "Professor Snape rarely compliments his students. In fact, the last time he did was about five years ago."

"Really?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed... Miss Ricamry, what does that parchment say?" he asked, pointing at the words _Erised stra _that were poking out of the book.

"Oh, um, nothing. Just a quote that I found somewhere," she said quickly, attempting to sheild the words from her elder.

He looked over his spectacles at her. "A quote that you found on the Mirror of Erised, perhaps?"

Her eyes widened. "I-I didn't mean to see it, if you're about to scold me. I just wanted to do some exploring, and I came across it..."

"You're not in any trouble, Miss Ricamry," he chuckled. "No, but may I ask what you saw when you looked into its reflection?"

"I think I saw me, but in the future."

"_How _did you see yourself?" he asked, extremely curious now.

"Um, well, I was really pretty, prettier than I had imagined myself to ever be," she said, not exactly lying.

"And that's all?"

"Pretty much."

Professor Dumbledore folded his hands together in front of him. Dafnie glanced up at the High Table; Hagrid, who had a bit too much to drink, had just kissed Professor McGonagall on the cheek, and she was giggling like a schoolgirl.

"I expect that a clever girl like you have realized what it does?"

"Well, at first I thought that it showed the future, and then I figured that there's _no way _I could ever..." she trailed off, blushing.

"Have you studied the inscription that you wrote down?" he asked gently, not egging her to continue her sentence that she was obviously embarrassed about.

"Sort of, but I haven't found those words in any textbook, and I don't think it's a spell," she shrugged uncertainly.

"May I?" he asked, reaching for the book. Dafnie gave him the parchment that she wrote the inscription on, and as he waved his hand over the words, they went from _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_, to _I show not your face but your hearts desire_. It was as if he held up a mirror to the words, and then they had changed back to their original order.

"_Now, _do you understand?" he asked.

"The Mirror of Erised... Does it show us what we want, even if we don't know if we want it just yet?" she asked.

"Precisely. The happiest man on earth could stand in front of it and see himself exactly how it is."

"Have you looked into the Mirror of Erised?" she asked curiously.

"Yes."

"What did you see?"

"I saw myself holding a pair of thick, wool socks," he smiled.

"Socks?" Dafnie giggled.

"One can never have too many socks," he smiled. "I hope you don't plan on sitting in here all day. Go out, get some fresh air, perhaps even build a snowman."

"I will, sir. Merry Christmas," she smiled as the elderly man stood up.

"Feliz Navidad, as the Spanish say," Dumbledore chuckled and startled to whistle the tune "Feliz Navidad" as he walked away.

Knowing that he was right, she figured she should get out of the Great Hall, at least.

She left the hall and wandered down to the Slytherin common room so she could retrieve her coat, hat, scarf, and gloves and so she could place the book in her trunk with the rest of her belongings.

After she was all bundled up and cast a simple Water-proof Charm on her shoes, she left the dungeons, wondering what on earth she was going to do outside. Perhaps she would build a snowman? Or maybe make an igloo that she can make her own, private hideout from the world? Yes, that sounded lovely. Then she could bring her jar with the heated flame and a nice book and-

_THWACK!_

Dafnie had been brought out of her thoughts as she left the warmth of the caste when a snowball hit her hit in the face. Wiping the snow from her eyes, she angrily searched for the one guilty of hitting her with the snowball.

She didn't have to look too far, as the guilty party of six boys burst into laughter. She recognized Harry, Ron, and his three older brothers, Fred, George, and Percy, but there was a shorter boy she didn't know.

Whipping out her wand, she waved it at the pile of snow that had previously hit her in the face. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she said, and directed it to hit Ron square in the face, sending him flying backwards.

The seven of them continued chasing each other around the grounds, attacking each other with snowballs for quite a bit of the afternoon, before they returned to the school, cold, and dripping wet. The boy she didn't know introduced himself as Liam Knoll, a Ravenclaw second year that liked to cause mischief with the Weasley twins.

They bid each other a Merry Christmas as the Gryffindors went to warm up in Gryffindor tower, and Liam and Dafnie went to their respected houses. She practically skipped down to the dungeons, when she heard voices around the corner. Not wanting to disturb the conversation, but also becoming rather intrigued, she stopped, and leaned against the wall.

"I d-d-don't know w-w-what you're t-talking about, Sev-Severus," Professor Quirrell stuttered.

"Don't play dumb with me, Quirrell. I know exactly what you're up to," Professor Snape drawled warningly.

"Y-y-you know I w-w-would _n-never_-"

"Do I?"

The conversation ended when a loud "_Merrooowww!" _came from right beside Dafnie. Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat, was alerting the professors that they had an eavesdropper in their midst. Before they could find her spying, she walked out as if she had just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Professors," she greeted.

"Miss Ric-camry," Professor Quirrell stuttered.

"Merry Christmas," she said, nodding to both of them.

"Merry C-christmas!"

"Merry Christmas," Professor Snape said, looking at her curiously.

"Stupid cat, always following me wherever I go," she tried to chuckle. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything..." She started to back away to the Slytherin common room.

"No, no. We were finished, weren't we, Quirrell?" Snape said; his voice and glare stating that he was in fact _not _finished with the conversation between the two professors.

"Why y-yes, we w-were." Quirrell said as he scurried up to the Entrance Hall, fixing his turban.

Dafnie turned away from her Head of House, hoping he would let her go in peace.

"Not so fast, Miss Ricamry," he called. Dafnie sighed and turned around.

He looked down at her, his face unreadable as ever.

"Did you have a nice Christmas?" she asked.

"It was decent enough," he sneered. There was a pause before he continued. "I wanted to thank you for the gift personally. It's been a while since I have received any gifts from any one besides my fellow colleagues."

"It's no problem, sir," she smiled. "I'm just glad that I could make a small difference. I also wanted to thank you. I was reading the stories all day before Professor Dumbledore told me I should probably get some fresh air," she confessed.

"Yes, well, staying inside all day could hardly consist of anything productive, I suppose."

There was a moment of awkward silence, and Dafnie, noticing how dreadfully cold and drenched she was, started to back away.

"If you'll excuse me, sir," she said, "but I really need to change into something that isn't causing me to freeze to death."

"By all means, Miss Ricamry, go right ahead," he dismissed. "Although, I would suggest that you don't go snooping around and listening to conversations that don't include you."

Professor Snape gave her a long, hard look that told her that he was being deathly serious.

"Um, yes, Professor. Sorry," she winced, as she turned and made her way down to the Slytherin common room, where she spent the remainder of her Christmas sitting next to the fire and continued reading her favorite Christmas gift, _The Tales of Beedle the Bard._

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

When the students came back from their holiday break, Draco was as impertinent as ever. All Dafnie heard about were Draco's expeditions while he was home, and how he had received countless gifts from his parents. Apparently, Draco's parents had taken him and Abraxas to a Weird Sisters concert, and they even got to meet the band.

"Father works in the Ministry, you see," he drawled in the common room. "That means that we can get tickets for any concert or Quidditch match we want!"

Pansy, who had a bit of a crush on Draco, swooned over every little detail. Dafnie, however, tried as hard as she could to seem as if she were intrigued with his stories.

"That's very interesting, Draco," she mumbled, not looking up from _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_.

Growing annoyed that she wasn't paying any attention to him and his bragging, he snatched the book from her hands.

"_Draco! Give it back!" _she shrieked, reaching for the book. Draco, who had grown a bit throughout the year, held it high over his head and laughed.

"No, I don't think I will," he sneered as she jumped all over him, trying her hardest to get it back.

Becoming angry, she pulled out her wand and pointed it between his eyes.

"And what exactly are you going to do with that?" he sneered, a hint of fear in his voice.

"If you don't want to find out, you will give me that book. _Now_," she snarled angrily.

They stared at each other for what seemed like ages. The other Slytherins had gathered around to watch them fight; some people were actually placing bets on who would back down first. Vincent and Gregory tried stepping in, but Dafnie was having none of their nonsense. Not from them.

"Take one more step closer, you thickheads, and I'll give you something you don't want where you don't want it," she threatened, not taking her eyes or wand off of Draco. The two boys stopped where they were, not wanting to take the chance with this girl. Everyone knew that she was brilliant with a wand; she wasn't quite as good as Hermione Granger, but she was close behind her.

"I'm going to count to three, and if you don't give me my book, I am going to hex your bloody bullocks off."

"She's not serious," Draco scoffed to the others, trying not to sound scared.

"One."

"Draco, I think she might be-" Pansy muttered, eyes darting between her two friends.

"Quiet, Pansy," Draco snapped.

"_Two_."

"Just give her the book!"

"_Quiet_, Pansy!" Draco ordered.

"_Three."_

Draco didn't wait any longer. He tossed the book at the dark haired girl, who caught it with a snap of her wrist.

Dafnie smirked at the pale boy as he backed away from the group that had circled around them, and he stormed off to his dormitory, ignoring the Slytherins that were teasing him for being afraid of not only a girl, but a "_Mudblood girl."_

She turned her attention to those students that had just used the word that she despised more than any other word. "I swear, if _any _of you even _think _to call me that again, I will hex your tongue into a knot so tight, it will take all the Healers in England to untie it!"

The laughing quickly ceased, and the entire common room fell into silence. Dafnie, pleased with the fear she had just placed in the House of Slytherin, sat down in her favorite armchair and opened her book to the page she was on before it was snatched from her just a few minutes earlier.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

As the days passed, the students of Slytherin kept their distance from Dafnie. They were all afraid to even cross her path. When she sat down at the table for breakfast, the people around her would scoot down so she had a good five feet between her and the others. At first, she enjoyed the solitude, not having to listen to Draco boasting about his wealth, or Pansy gossiping about the Hufflepuffs that "clearly lacked any sense of fashion and color-coordination." But after the third day, she had grown extremely lonely. Pansy still sat with her during their lessons, but she only talked to her when she absolutely had to, and when she did, she only said a few, short words pertaining to whatever assignment they were working on.

Dafnie had resorted to eating by herself, sneaking food into the library, and studying in solitude. Occasionally, a Ravenclaw would sit with her, but even they had heard of her reputation in Slytherin. The only student that would actually talk to her was Abraxas.

"They're just afraid, because they know you won't take any of their nonsense," he tried to cheer her up after she had explained why her house was avoiding her.

"But I don't understand!" she exclaimed. "Do you know how many Slytherins do the same thing, or even worse? Just yesterday, I saw Draco hex Longbottom so that he had to hop from the library, all the way up to Gryffindor tower! I hadn't even hexed him, and they're all ignoring me. Draco and his cronies are weak, immature, and afraid of a fair fight."

"Draco's always been the type to prey upon those that are weaker than he is, just because he himself is too weak to pick a fight with someone who he feels is better. Have you noticed how he is constantly followed by those idiots, Crabbe and Goyle? They're only around just in case Draco picks a fight with someone who won't put up with him."

"Which is why he never actually attacks Potter when it's just the two of them," she stated.

Abraxas nodded. "And which is why he refuses to talk to you. He knows that if you're crossed wrong, then _he's _the one that will be hurt. Maybe he thinks if you don't have any friends, then you'll fall into the submissive Muggle-born that he has been raised to believe you should be."

She nodded, shutting her book and letting the Ravenclaw know that she was tired and would meet him the next night to continue their work together.

As she started to walk down a flight of stairs on her way to the dungeons, the stairs had begun to move. Holding on the rail with everything she had, she slowly tiptoed down each stair, and as she finally reached the landing, jumped off as quickly as she could before the stairs could move again. Never had she been stuck on a flight as it started to move, and she didn't want it to happen again anytime soon.

She was about to continue her journey, she heard voices coming from the inside of a room she had never really cared to notice. It was then she realized she never noticed it because it was the forbidden third-floor corridor that she was in. Quietly as she could, she pressed her ear against the door.

"_The egg will get that filthy half-breed to talk, Quirrell." _ a cold, raspy voice said from the inside.

"But Master, what-t-t if it doesn't w-work?" Quirrell asked.

"_Fool! It will work! We will get in soon, and the stone will be mine!"_

"Y-y-yes, Master... You are right..."

Dafnie's heart skipped a beat. _What was Professor Quirrell up to, and who was in the room with him?_

She rushed down the flights of stairs, and straight to the dungeons. She approached Professor Snape's office, and rapped on the door as quickly as she could.

"Professor! Professor, are you in?" she called, hoping that he would answer.

A few moments of silence, and the door had opened.

"Miss Ricamry, what the devil is it now?" he snapped, obviously in a foul mood.

"It's Professor Quirrell, sir. I think... I think he's trying to get whatever's in the third-floor corridor," she said very fast.

His face became unreadable. "_What?"_

"I heard him talking to someone in the room that we're not allowed in... Something about an egg, and a stone," she said.

Without another word, he pushed passed her and quickly walked up the stairs, leaving her standing in the doorway of his office. She wasn't completely sure if she should wait there, or just go to her dormitory.

She decided to just head to the common room, her thoughts running around in her head.

_Was a powerful stone hidden in the third-floor corridor? Why would Quirrell want it for someone else? And what was the egg for?_

_~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~_

Once again, Dafnie found herself alone in the library as the rest of the school flooded down to the Quidditch pitch for the match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. It didn't take a genius to know that Gryffindor would win by a landslide, even if Professor Snape was refereeing that day. She couldn't understand how anyone would want to watch a game that was so fixed; it was unfair for those poor Hufflepuffs.

She did understand, however, that Quirrell wanted some sort of stone. Her mind flashed back to the book she had hidden from the Gryffindors. They were looking for information about Nicolas Flamel, the alchemist that had created the Philosopher's Stone, a stone that would grant you immortality.

That's when it hit her. Professor Quirrell and his accomplice wanted the stone so they could be immortal.

She had half a mind to inform Professor Dumbledore, and then quickly dismissed the thought. Obviously, the stone was protected by something that Quirrell couldn't get around. The stone was safe, for how long, she did not know. But she did know that it was none of her business, and she shouldn't get involved.

It wasn't too long before students began to return to the castle. She didn't expect the match to last long; from what she's heard, Harry Potter was an excellent Seeker.

Deciding to go for a walk to clear her mind of the nonsense that had completely ensnared her, she left the library. Walking around a corridor, she heard the voice of Harry Potter, telling his friends that Professor Snape had tried to force Quirrell into helping him get the stone.

_So I'm not the only one bright enough to know that the stone is here, _she thought.

"So we were right, it is the Philosopher's Stone, and Snape's trying to force Quirrell to help him get it. He asked if he knew how to get past Fluffy, and he said something about Quirrell's 'hocus pocus'. I reckon there are other things guarding it apart from Fluffy, loads of enchantments, probably, and Quirrell would have done some anti-Dark Arts spell that Snape needs to break through-"

Dafnie almost laughed out loud.This boy was so blinded by hate that he simply refused to see the truth. He couldn't see that Professor Snape was trying his damndest to protect the stone, while Quirrell was the one that wanted it for his own selfish reasons. Not wanting to listen to them accuse the wrong man, she returned to her wandering, looking for other mysterious things around the castle.

_~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~_

A few weeks had passed, and Dafnie had realized that the end-of-term exams weren't as far away as the other students believed. She had begun to stay in the library longer than usual, making sure she had correct notes and studying them so she would know everything she had written by heart. She was confident that she would be getting passing marks on all of her exams except for Herbology, her worst subject. As much as she tried, she just couldn't seem to be able to handle the different plants that she was expected to take care of.

Sitting by herself, for Abraxas hadn't been studying in the library as often as she was, she was listing the different creatures they had learned about in Defense Against the Dark Arts and how to overpower them if needed, when she saw Hagrid looking for something in the row of books next to her.

"Are you looking for something in particular, Hagrid?" she asked, curiously wandering over to see if he needed a book that she had at her table.

"Oh, no. Jus' lookin' for a book," he said a little too quickly.

"Are you sure? You look like you're trying to find a specific book, and I have a few of some really informational stuff over there at my table," she said.

He looked around a few times, making sure nobody could hear them.

"Have ya got anythin' about dragons over there?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"Dragons? Well, I did grab one book about dragons, just in case we're supposed to know about them for exams..." she said, walking over and picking up _Dragon Species of Great Britain and Ireland_.

"Ya mind if I borrow it from ya?"

"Not at all, sir. Here, take it," she shrugged handing him the book.

He quickly shoved it in his large moleskin overcoat.

"Thanks, Miss Ricamry. But hey... Don't tell anyone that I was lookin' fer it. I don't want people gettin' the wrong idea, y'know?" he said.

She nodded. "And if you're looking for any other books on dragons, there are some on that shelf over there," she pointed to a shelf a couple rows away.

He thanked her again in his gruff voice before making his way over, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.

Feeling good that she had helped someone out, she happily went back to her studying. A few minutes later, she heard Hagrid talking to the Gryffindor trio by the row she had just directed him towards. He sounded as if he wanted to get out of there as quick as possible before they found out what he was looking for. When he left the library, Ron Weasley had walked over to see what books he was examining moments before they had interrupted him.

"Dragons! He's looking up stuff about dragons!" he exclaimed quietly and he showed his friends what the half-giant was reading.

"Hagrid's always wanted a dragon, he told me the first time I ever met him," Harry had said.

Dafnie's stomach lurched. Hagrid was what some people would call a half-breed. He had always wanted a dragon. What if Quirrell had given him a dragon egg in exchange for information on how to get to the stone? It made complete sense to her.

She groaned inwardly. What had she just done?

_~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~_

Dafnie was helping one of her fellow first years with their notes one day in the Slytherin common room when Draco swaggered in, telling them that he had overheard Potter, Weasley, and Granger talking about some dragon egg that Hagrid had acquired. Dafnie quickly wrote him off, claiming that dragons are illegal, and even Hagrid wouldn't risk getting caught with one, especially since he lived in a wooden hut.

"You may think so, Dafnie, but I'm going to follow them there tonight. They were talking about watching it hatch!" Draco said smugly, biting into an apple that he had stolen from someone's bag. He had started talking to her again, but they weren't as close as they were before she had almost hexed him in front of the entire common room.

She sighed, knowing that she wouldn't be able to stop him.

Later that night, Dafnie's fears were revealed. Hagrid had indeed somehow gotten a dragon egg, and Draco had watched it hatch.

"Just wait until my father hears about this! Dumbledore will _have _to fire that oaf now!" he sneered in delight.

"Maybe you were just seeing things. Are you absolutely sure you saw a dragon?" she asked.

"Positive. You can't mistake a dragon for anything."

A few days later, Dafnie noticed during breakfast that one of Ron's hands had swelled twice the size of its usual size. During Potions, she watched uneasily as it started to turn into a nasty green color. She figured he must have been bitten by the dragon while at Hagrid's the day before. Professor Snape sent him to the hospital wing, stating that the red head was just wasting his time if he couldn't chop ingredients properly.

Draco, wanting nothing more than to tease the poor boy, had gone up to the hospital wing after class to rub it in his face. He had told Madam Pomfrey that Ron had a book he needed so he could do so. When he approached Dafnie in the Great Hall, he had the smuggest look she had ever seen.

"What did you say to him, Draco?" she sighed.

"I just got all the proof I needed," he said, shoving a letter into her hand.

She gave him a stern look as he urged her to read it.

_Dear Ron,_

_How are you? Thanks for the letter- I'd be glad to take the Norwegian Ridgeback, but it won't be easy getting him here. I think the best thing will be to send him over with some friends of mine who are coming to visit me next week. Trouble is, they mustn't be seen carrying an illegal dragon._

_Could you get the Ridgeback up the tallest tower at midnight on Saturday? They can meet you there and take him away while it's still dark._

_Send me an answer as soon as possible._

_Love, _

_Charlie_

She looked up from the letter with a horrid look on her face. "Don't tell me you're going to try to stop them."

"Even better," he smirked, sitting across from her. "I'm going to make sure they're caught."

"No, you won't. _You _are the one that is going to get caught. Karma is a bloody bitch, if you will forgive my-"

"_Language_, Miss Ricamry," Professor Snape's voice sneered from behind.

She turned around with an embarrassed smile on her face. "My apologies, Professor Snape."

His lip curled into a slight smirk. "Indeed," he said before he turned and walked out of the Hall.

She turned back to Draco and glared at his snigger. "Seriously, Draco, just drop it. You are going to get caught by Filch and Mrs. Norris."

He merely smiled nastily. "Trust me, Dafnie. I know what I am doing."

All day on Saturday, Dafnie tried to talk him out of it.

"It's really none of our business, Draco. At least they're getting it taken care of," she had said, but he ignored her.

"You don't get it," he said. "This is our chance to get those pathetic Gryffindors expelled, and that idiot fired!"

Around midnight that night, Dafnie had begged and begged for Draco to just let it go, but he refused. "If you want, you can come with me. Then you can see this dragon for yourself."

She considered it for a second before shaking her head. "If you want to get Potter in trouble, you go right ahead. But if you get caught by Filch, then that's on you."

As she waited for Draco to return, she copied down note after note for her Transfiguration exam that was just two weeks away. The minutes passed by slowly, and Dafnie began to worry that her fellow Slytherin had been caught by the nasty caretaker and his even nastier cat. Her eyes began to become drowsy, but she refused to go to sleep until Draco returned. She wanted to make sure that no points had been lost for Slytherin, and that the dragon had indeed been brought into proper care.

A little over an hour later, the entrance of the Slytherin common room opened to reveal a very upset looking Draco Malfoy.

"I suppose you didn't get him expelled?" she asked as he slumped down on the sofa.

"Not only that, but I lost twenty house points and I have detention," he scoffed.

"See? I told you that you would get caught. You really should start listening to me more often," she said, standing up to stretch and yawn.

"Yes, yes, you were right, you're always right. Are you happy?"

"Not exactly, but at least Filch didn't tear you a new one. I'm going to bed now that I know that you're back. Good night, Draco," she said as she started to walk away to her dormitory, leaving Draco to sulk in peace.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

"Alright, Draco, what is a bezoar, and where can you find it?" Dafnie asked during breakfast a week later, her notes scattered around her. Exams were in a week, and she knew that Draco hadn't been studying one bit.

"Er, it's found in the stomach of a sheep, I know that..." he mumbled as he took a bite of a muffin.

She sighed. "Wrong, it's a stone found in the stomach of a goat, and it will save you from most poisons."

"Oh, that's right. I knew that, I just wanted to see if you were right," he said in a careless voice.

"Of course, you did. Just like you knew you wouldn't get caught last week when you went to get Potter in trouble," she sneered at the boy sitting next to her.

"In case you haven't noticed, Dafnie, I haven't received a detention yet," he said.

"Well, you're about to eat your words, because your owl is heading right toward you," she nodded passed him.

The smug look that Draco was wearing quickly changed into a wince before he turned behind him. Sure enough, the morning post had just arrived and Draco's owl was flying in their direction and stopped right in front of the boy.

He quickly removed the letter and gave his owl a bit of toast before it flew away. He opened his letter and read it, a glum look washed over his face.

"Well?" she asked.

"I have detention tonight with that squib, Filch," he grimaced. "He's probably going to make me clean the trophy case the _filthy _Muggle way." He almost gagged at the last few words.

"Ahem," she snarled. "_I _happen to have grown up the _Muggle _way, and it is not as horrifying as you think it is."

"It's degrading. We have magic, what's the point of going out of our way to do something so trivial?" he asked.

"That's not the point, Draco," she said, rolling her eyes. "What's a squib, anyway?" she asked curiously.

"Sometimes, really talented purebloods have non-magical children. It's quite an embarrassment," he replied, shaking his head.

"Must be a side effect of inbreeding," she muttered, returning to her breakfast.

"What's _that _supposed to mean?" he asked furiously.

"I don't know, Draco. What do you think that's supposed to mean?" she retorted in a bored voice as she got up to leave for class.

Dafnie didn't wait to hear his answer. She didn't really care about his answer. She felt that he deserved a punishment that is as horrible as he thought it was. It served him right for being so ignorant of a culture completely different to his. The fact that he was so incredibly small minded astonished her. She refused to worry about his well-being any longer, not with exams in less than ten days. There were more important things to worry about.

As usual, she was the first to enter Potions, aside from Professor Snape, of course. She very nearly slammed her books and cauldron on her desk before she sat in her chair, muttering about ignorant toe rags. Her professor glanced up at her from the potion he was preparing to go over with the class, but she hadn't noticed.

"Something troubling you, Miss Ricamry?" he drawled.

"Nothing at all, sir," she said casually. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, perhaps the way you stormed in and threw your belongings on the desk. It is a bit obvious that young Draco has provoked you yet again," he replied smugly.

Staring up at her professor for a moment, she sighed and nodded her head. "He is just so dense, sometimes. He would not last a day in the Muggle world..." Something on the professor's arm stood out as he carefully stirred the potion counter-clockwise. "Oh, is that a tattoo? My mum has strictly forbidden me from ever getting one while I live under her roof," she said, pointing at his left arm where he had rolled up his sleeve.

Quickly, he pulled his sleeve down, his head snapping up to look her in the eye with a painful look on his face. "I wouldn't call it a tattoo, but it's something along the lines of one."

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"It... It is something I regret."

Dafnie looked away from Professor Snape. Obviously, she had just brought up a tender subject, and she was not about to bring it up anymore. She was almost thankful when the rest of the class arrived little by little and Pansy took her seat next to her and started blabbing about a Ravenclaw second year that had exploded a toilet in the second floor boys' restroom until Professor Snape had silenced them and started to review what would be on the exam.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

Much later, Dafnie felt someone shaking her awake. "Dafnie! Dafnie! Wake up, you won't _believe _what happened!"

Draco Malfoy was above her, shaking her by her shoulders. Dafnie blinked and sat up, trying to gather her thoughts. She had fallen asleep in the common room waiting for him, her book lying on the floor next to her. "What happened, Draco? You didn't have to scrub the loo with your bare hands, did you?" she asked sarcastically as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Even worse," he said grimly. He explained how he, Potter, Granger, and Longbottom were forced into going into the Forbidden Forest with Rubeus Hagrid. Apparently, there was something in there that was attacking unicorns.

"That's impossible," he said. "Unicorns are very intelligent and swift creatures. I've read all about them. Not very many things can out-run a unicorn, let alone injure one."

"Well, something out there can. _Someone, _actually," he whimpered.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, you see, I had to follow a trail of unicorn blood with Potter. We followed it, all right, and we found the unicorn. It was dead, and some hooded figure started to drink its blood."

Dafnie gasped. "But... To drink from a creature that is so innocent and pure would give you a cursed life! Who in the world would want such a horrible life?"

"I'm not sure, but I reckon they're not someone I would mess with..."

She figured she knew who would do such a horrific thing. Professor Quirrell was after the Philosopher's Stone, after all. Why wouldn't he kill a unicorn to stay alive while he tried to figure out how to get to the stone?

"You should probably go get some rest, Draco. You've had a long night," she finally said, rising from the sofa herself. The blonde boy nodded, as if deep in thought before bidding her good night and made his way to his dormitory.

Dafnie, however, did not go straight to her dormitory. She sat in the common room, watching the fire and thinking. Quirrell had already given Hagrid that dragon egg. She wondered if Hagrid knew how to get to the stone, and if he had told Quirrell what he knew. But why would he be drinking unicorn blood in the first place? He seemed to be perfectly healthy, aside from his constant stuttering and odor that seeped from his turban. He had no need to drink from a unicorn, unless...

Her stomach lurched. What if the hooded figure Draco had mentioned wasn't Quirrell? Who would slaughter a unicorn and drink its blood, regardless of the fact that said person would be cursed? Who would want the Philosopher's Stone for the Elixir of Life, so they would rise again?

"Voldemort," she whispered in a quiet, horrified voice.

It made complete sense. Quirrell was working for Voldemort.

She had half a mind to tell Professor Snape about her realization before talking herself out of it. Not only was it well after curfew and he was most likely sleeping at the moment, but another thought rushed over her. Whatever is protecting the stone, Professor Snape had probably helped out, along with the other professors that were well-trusted by Dumbledore. Another thought came over her at the thought of the latter. Voldemort had always been afraid of the elderly wizard in the dark days. There was no way Voldemort would risk stealing the stone, not with Dumbledore around.

Satisfied with her conclusion, she took a deep breath and exhaled, heading up to her bed and very quietly changing into a satin nightgown before drifting back off to a deep slumber.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

A week later, Dafnie found herself finally relaxing outside next to a tree by the lake surrounding the school. She had just finished up the last of her exams, thankful that she had been studying for months rather than weeks. They weren't as bad as she had thought they would be, aside from Herbology and History of Magic. The written part of the exam had been a breeze, said in the most figurative figure of speech possible. The room was bloody hot, and having to wear her school robes did not help one bit.

The practical exams weren't as exhausting as she had imagined. Professor Flitwick squeaked excitedly when she had managed to make her pineapple tap-dance across a desk without even having to try too hard. Professor McGonagall was pleased that Dafnie was capable of transfiguring a mouse into a snuffbox with violet lace surrounding it. She had even managed to receive a small smile and a "very nice" from Professor Snape when she brewed the best Forgetfulness Potion in the class.

Although she wasn't worried about her results that would be given to her in a week, something was bothering her. She had a funny feeling in her stomach, the kind of feeling you get when you can't help but think something terrible was about to happen. She wasn't the only one. Dafnie had noticed that Harry Potter was constantly applying pressure to his forehead as if his scar was causing him unbearable pain. It looked as if his headaches were getting worse as each day.

Trying to shake uneasy thoughts from her head, she stood up and started walking back to the school just in time to catch the Gryffindor trio rushing across the grounds towards Hagrid's hut. Harry had a determined look on his face, while his sidekicks looked rather confused. Of course, they wouldn't understand what had their friend so worried.

When she entered the castle, part of her was telling her to warn her Head of House about these feelings that she had been having, along with Harry's behavior. She started to walk to the dungeons before she stopped and turned to the staircase that would take her up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. She would merely ask Professor Quirrell if she could look at her exam, if there was a chance he would allow her to fix an answer, and then she would study his mannerisms to see if he was acting stranger than usual. She quietly approached the classroom door and was about to knock when she heard him conversing with the same, cold voice she had heard before and her blood turned to ice.

"_It will be tonight, Quirrell_," the voice said, hunger and greed laced in his voice.

"Y-yes, Master. As you w-wish, my Lord," Quirrell's timid voice answered.

"_Did you send that old fool the letter like I demanded?_

"Y-yes, my lord. Dumbledore will be out of the w-way."

"_Excellent... Tonight we will go through the trapdoor..."_

Dafnie sprinted down the flights of stairs, turning left and right through corridors, until she found herself in the Entrance Hall, just as Harry, Hermione, and Ron came bursting through the giant front door. They looked as if she were the last person they'd like to have run into.

"Ricamry," Ron snarled spitefully.

"It's nice to see you, as well," she retorted through her teeth.

"We know what you're up to, Dafnie, and we will _not _let you get away with it," Harry said, looking very serious.

Dafnie was appalled. "_Up to_?" she shrieked. "What is _that _supposed to mean?" She could not believe they thought that she was trying to bring Voldemort back to power.

"You know exactly what that means."

"What is going on here?" Professor Snape asked appearing behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They sullenly turned around to face the potion's professor.

"Nothing, Professor," Hermione said in a very calm voice with a slight hint of nervousness.

His eyes flickered to Dafnie. She darted her eyes toward the dungeons, a little tilt with her head. He seemed to understand that she needed to talk to him about something extremely important because he quickly scowled down at the Gryffindors.

"Nothing, you say? You weren't by chance ridiculing one of my Slytherins, were you, Potter?" he snarled.

"No, sir, it wasn't like-"

"_Silence_. Ten points from Gryffindor for harassment," he pointed for them to leave before he took more points from Gryffindor, points that Gryffindor couldn't afford to lose.

"Come with me."

Professor Snape turned around, his robes flying after him. Dafnie hurriedly followed him down into the dungeons.

"What is it?" he asked quietly when they reached his office.

"Quirrell. He is going to steal the Philosopher's Stone tonight for Voldemort," she stated firmly.

"Don't say the Dark Lord's name," he barked. "What do you mean he's going to steal the stone for the Dark Lord? And how do you know about the stone?"

"I overheard him. He gave Hagrid a dragon egg after he told Quirrell how to get passed one of the things guarding it... Fluffy, Potter called it. Anyway, he knows how to get passed Fluffy, and he sent Dumbledore a letter to get him out of the school. I've known about the stone for a little while now."

Professor Snape's expression hardened. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes. And Potter and his friends think you are the one helping Vol- You-Know-Who into the school," she added quickly.

He smirked. "I'll take care of them, and I'll warn Professor Dumbledore. You carry on with your day, Miss Ricamry."

He darted out the door after her, taking long strides up the stairs. She trailed behind him until she got to the Entrance Hall. Wanting to stay out of the way, she decided to go back outside to the lake so she could attempt to clear her mind. As she walked out to the lake, something caught her eye. In the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she caught sight of a silver doe sprinting across the grounds and out of sight.

_Must be the heat_, she thought, as she sat underneath a tree and pulled a book out of her bag and flipped it open, trying to concentrate on the words in front of her.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

"Did you hear what happened last night?"

"Harry Potter! He stopped Quirrell from stealing The Philosopher's Stone!"

Somehow, everybody knew about the stone and what had happened the previous night. Rumors were flying across the castle about battling a giant three-headed dog and playing a deadly game of real-life wizard's chess.

Dafnie had heard plenty of different scenarios before she even entered the Great Hall for breakfast. As she was about to enter, a hand rested on her shoulder. She turned around to see Professor Snape.

"Professor Dumbledore has requested that I take you up to his office," he said smoothly. She nodded and followed silently behind her superior. He lead her up to a corridor and stopped in front of a statue of a gargoyle.

"Password?" it asked.

"Lemon drops," Professor Snape drawled and the gargoyle stepped to the side, allowing them to walk up the stairs to the headmaster's office.

The potion's master knocked on the door. "Enter," Dumbledore's friendly voice invited. The door swung open, and Dafnie walked in, followed by her professor. The headmaster sat behind his desk that was littered with many trinkets, portraits of the headmasters before him hung in various places on the walls.

"Have a seat, Miss Ricamry," Professor Dumbledore said, gesturing at one of the chairs behind her. She sat down, waiting for him to address her.

"Professor Snape has informed me that you are the reason Harry Potter is still alive today," he said very calmly.

"Pardon?" she asked. She had not known she had actually saved his life.

"Oh, yes. Because you warned Professor Snape, here, I was able to get back to the school just in time to prevent Quirrell from stealing the stone and killing Harry. Because of you, Lord Voldemort was delayed in returning."

Dafnie was speechless. She couldn't believe what he was saying.

"I, er, I hadn't known that the rumors were true," she stammered.

"Ah, yes. What happened last night between Harry and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret, so it is only natural that the whole school would know about it today," he smiled.

She gave him a small smile back. "Is that all you wished to say, Professor?" she asked.

"Not quite. I think it is necessary to award you points, don't you?" he said, beaming down at her. "Twenty points to Slytherin for your outstanding courage and cunning wits that had helped saved another's life."

"Thank you, sir," Dafnie said.

"You may go now, Dafnie. Enjoy your last few days here at Hogwarts before the holidays begin."

She nodded and took her leave, heading down to the Great Hall for a quick breakfast before she joined Draco in a game of Exploding Snap.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

Slytherin had been so close to winning the House Cup. In fact, it was theirs for about five minutes before Professor Dumbledore awarded Gryffindor just enough points for them to win it for the first time in seven years. Dafnie didn't mind that much; those points deserved to be awarded. Draco was furious when the green and silver banners changed into banners of scarlet and gold. Dafnie didn't care. There were more important things than winning a stupid cup at the end of the year.

She was pleased when her exam results came in. She had passed with flying colors, coming in second place of her year, right after Hermione Granger. She was incredibly smug at the fact that she had received the best grade in Potions.

They were on their way out of the castle on the last day of term to head back home for the holidays and Dafnie couldn't help but feel a little saddened. Hogwarts had become a home to her. She had missed her parents, but she knew they wouldn't be able to understand the stories she would have for them.

"Dafnie! Dafnie wait!" a voice rang out behind her. She turned around to see Harry Potter racing up to her.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I, I just wanted to say thank you, and that I'm sorry," he said, looking a tad embarrassed. "You told us that Snape wasn't trying to kill me, and you were right. It was Quirrell. It was always Quirrell. And Dumbledore said that you were the reason he got here in time. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead today."

He looked up at her with his bright green eyes. "So what I really mean is... Truce?" he asked sticking his right hand out.

She stared at it for a minute before taking it. "Truce, Potter. But please, don't ever make me have to save your skin again because you're too bigheaded to see the truth when it's right in front of you," she smirked.

On the Hogwarts Express, Dafnie sat with her fellow Slytherins, all talking about their summer plans. Dafnie shrugged when she was asked about her plans. "I like to keep it spontaneous."

When they had pulled into the platform at King's Cross Station, they stood in line at the barrier as an old wizard allowed a few students at a time to go through so the Muggles wouldn't notice.

"I'll see if you can come over this summer," Draco said to her as they went through the barrier. "Perhaps my parents will over-look your parentage just this once. After all, there has got to be some reason you were sorted into Slytherin."

Dafnie smiled, hoping it was true as she waved good bye and joined her parents that were waiting for her. Mr. Ricamry had pulled his daughter into a tight hug.

"How was your year, dear?" he asked, taking the trolley and rolling it out of the station and to their car.

"Honestly, it's a long story," she smiled, thinking about everything that had happened over the year, and what she was to expect the following year at Hogwarts.


	4. Second Year, Part One

**Hello, my readers! I just wanted to thank everyone who has followed, favourited, and reviewed my story. I know that I haven't updated on a regular basis, but college will do that to a person. And it doesn't help that I had lost my flash drive that had my complete story and I had to start from scratch. I promise that I will be updating more often now that I'm on vacation! Please, don't forget to review! Enjoy! **

Year Two

Part I

Dafnie Ricamry was having the absolute most boring summer she had ever endured. Her mother had forbidden her to contact her old friends in fear that they would find out about her being a witch. The thought terrified the woman beyond belief, all because she was afraid Dafnie would get hurt. She made that clear one morning when Dafnie asked why she wasn't allowed to leave the premises.

She still remained in contact with her fellow Slytherin, Draco Malfoy. He had been trying to persuade his parents to allow her to stay at Malfoy Manor, but to be honest, the thought of Draco's parents made her sick to her stomach. Draco came from a long line of pureblood supremacists. They firmly believed that anyone that was Muggle-born was worth less than dirt. She could almost imagine how she would be treated in their home.

Dafnie missed her world at Hogwarts. She missed her classes, the library. She missed Slytherin's common room that was located in the dungeons under the lake that surrounded the castle. She missed how she could see the giant squid while she laid in bed at night. She missed her friends, Draco, Pansy, and Abraxas, a Ravenclaw boy that happened to be Draco's cousin and lived with him and his family. She even missed the three Gryffindors that were always poking their noses where they didn't belong. But most of all, she missed her favorite professor, Professor Snape. He was the Potions teacher, and he was brilliant in her eyes. His snide remarks toward the Gryffindors always put a small smirk on her face as she brewed whatever potion they were assigned.

It was a Friday morning when Dafnie found herself going through her school books. She didn't want to fall behind when term started again so she immediately started to do homework as soon as she returned home. She was reading about kneazles, a cat-like creature that can tell whether a person is trustworthy or not, when there was a peck at her window. Her eyes darted up to see a barn owl with a letter. She set her book down and opened the window.

The owl flew in and rested on her bedpost as she removed the letter from its beak. It flew away at once, so Dafnie figured Draco wouldn't be expecting an answer just yet. Dafnie opened the envelope and pulled out the note.

_Dafnie,_

_My parents have allowed you to stay at our home for the rest of the holiday. I'll be arriving with the servant to pick you up today at noon. Be ready when I get there._

_Draco_

She glanced at the clock and instantly shot up from her bed, throwing everything she owned in her trunk. The time read 11:46 am, giving her only fourteen minutes to make sure she had everything she needed before Draco arrived. Her books, cauldron, clothes, robes, and wand were all stuffed in her trunk within a span of two minutes. She rushed down the stairs where her parents were watching a documentary on underwater creatures.

"What is it, Dafnie?" her father asked, looking up from his tea.

"Is it okay that I stay with my friend, Draco, for the rest of the summer?" she asked quickly.

Her parents gave each other uneasy looks. "I don't know, Dafnie... I would rather you stay here," Mrs. Ricamry finally said.

"But Mum! He's on his way over right now! He'll be here any minute!" she exclaimed.

"Well, what was the point of even asking if you could go?"

Dafnie shrugged, not really having a good answer.

It was her father that cracked. "Come on, Sonya, how often has she left the house at all this summer? It would be good for her to spend time with her friends until they have to worry about class again."

Mrs. Ricamry shot her husband an irritated glance before sighing. "I suppose you're right-"

Just then, there was a loud noise coming from the fireplace and green flames burst to life. Mrs. Ricamry shrieked and jumped into her husband's lap as two figures appeared. The first was Draco Malfoy. The second was something Dafnie had ever seen before. It was a small creature with a long nose and long ears and big, green eyes. It wore a very grubby pillowcase, and looked rather curiously around the living room.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Ricamry, I'm Draco Malfoy, and I go to school with Dafnie. The elf and I are here to pick her up, if that is acceptable," Draco said, a hint of innocence in his usually smug voice.

Mrs. Ricamry stood up to shake the boy's hand. "It's a pleasure, Draco. Dafnie should be ready to leave, right?" he asked, looking at his daughter.

"Yes, I am. Let me just go get my trunk..." she replied, turning to the stairs.

"That won't be necessary. Dobby will take it to Malfoy Manor. We are traveling by Floo Powder," Draco said.

The elf, Dobby, quickly walked up the stairs as if he knew where to go.

"But that trunk probably weighs more than he does!" Dafnie exclaimed.

"Dafnie, he's a_ house-elf_. Magic, you know," he said as if he couldn't believe that she would question his orders. "Okay, we should probably go. Mother and Father are anxious to meet you."

Dafnie gave her parents a hug, telling them she'd see them next summer. Draco reached into his traveling cloak and pulled out a small bag of ashes. "Take a pinch and throw it into the fire. When it glows green, you need to step into it and say 'Malfoy Manor', but make sure you speak _very_ clearly."

She took a pinch of the ash and threw it into the fire. The flames turned green and she stepped into its warmth. "Malfoy Manor!" she said, and she started spinning around and around and around until she fell out of a fireplace and into a dimly lit room. Two blonde people were standing over her, arrogance in their faces.

"Ah, you must be Miss Ricamry," the man said in a droll voice.

"Y-yes, sir," she said, standing up and brushing the soot off of her front. He looked very much like Draco with his pale skin, blonde hair, and cold, grey eyes. Draco appeared out of the fireplace at that moment, and Dobby appeared with a loud crack in the middle of the room, carrying her trunk.

"Take that up to the guest quarters, elf," Draco ordered. The elf nodded quickly and began to drag the trunk out of the oversized room.

"Lucius Malfoy," his father said, extending his hand out. Dafnie took it, unsure of this man's intentions. "This is my wife, Narcissa."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. Draco has told me so much about you," Dafnie said as calmly as she could manage.

Lucius smirked. "Draco has also told us all about you, you and your parents."

Narcissa scoffed, as if she would rather not have such filth talked about in her home.

"It took us quite a while to decide whether or not you should be allowed, but Draco and Severus both say that you are quite the _exception_," he said, emphasizing his last word.

Dafnie's eyes that had been staring at the floor shot up. "Professor Snape?"

"Oh, yes. He had quite a few things to say about you," Lucius started to circle the girl, making her even more uneasy than she felt to begin with. She felt his eyes burning holes in the back of her head, but she refused to let this man know she feared him.

Narcissa seemed to notice. "Lucius, you are going to give the poor girl a heart attack."

Lucius stopped walking around her and smiled at his wife. "That is not my intention, I assure you. Draco, why don't you show Dafnie around? Give her the grand tour of Malfoy Manor, son."

Draco grabbed her by the arm and led her out into the entrance of the mansion. As soon as they were out of earshot, he sighed. "Sorry about that. They're a bit scary at first."

"Draco, why did they allow me over? Are they going to keep me on my toes this entire time?" she whispered as they walked up the stairs.

"Father is convinced that you are at least a Half-blood. He doesn't believe that you are what you say you are."

"But that's ridiculous. Why would I pretend to be a Muggle-born when I'm in Slytherin and most people hate me?"

Draco shrugged as he opened a door, gesturing for her to enter. The room was bigger than Dafnie's bedroom and parents' bedroom put together. The queen-sized bed that had purple draped on the canopy sat in the center. A wardrobe sat against the wall to the right, and to the left was a desk. Her trunk had been placed at the foot of the bed.

"I'm not sure, but whatever my godfather said to them changed their minds completely about you," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"What did he say?"

"Don't know. They won't tell me. It must be good, though. I mean, you're here, aren't you?" he smirked.

She smiled back at him. She had missed Draco quite a bit, for he was her closest peer. Even though he was a foul git, she really did enjoy his company. He was always kinder to her when it was just the two of them, but even he would snap on Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle if they made snide comments about her.

Draco led her around the house, and Dafnie soon realized that there were many rules at Malfoy Manor. There were certain rooms she was not allowed to enter, along with certain floors. She was warned not to touch anything unless it was handed to her. She wondered if these rules were just for her, or if these rules were there to hide the dangerous things from her.

Abraxas didn't come out of his room until dinner was ready. Dobby had prepared a pork roast for the Malfoy family, Abraxas, and Dafnie. She watched as Dobby looked at the food that the family had started eating, his face showed obvious longing.

Dafnie looked down at her meal and then back to the house elf. Doing the least she could do for the elf that actually _made _the meal, she held out her plate. "Would you like a slice?"

Dobby's eyes got really wide, making them even bigger than they already were, and looked timidly at his masters. Narcissa gasped as if she had never heard such a question. Abraxas and Draco were hiding sniggers as they continued to eat.

"Dobby gets the leftovers just like every other lower being," Lucius said coldly. "Dobby, _go_."

The elf whimpered and then immediately vanished into thin air with a loud crack.

Dafnie slowly lowered her plate to the table and began to pick at her meal. Suddenly, she wasn't hungry.

"So, tell us, Dafnie, about your parents," the man asked, a smirk forming in the corner of his mouth. "What are they like?"

"Er, they're fine, I suppose. Mum is a bit over-protective, but Dad is great," she replied.

"What do they do?"

"My mother is a realtor, and my dad is a lawyer."

"What do they _do?_"

"A realtor sells houses, and a lawyer defends people in court."

"_Interesting_," Lucius said, taking a sip of wine. "And how do they possibly manage? Living without magic like animals must be horrible."

Dafnie glanced over at Narcissa, who quickly darted her eyes away, and looked back at the smug man sitting across from her. "Muggles have made their own kind of magic to get by," she said coolly.

"Technology? Electricity? Miss Ricamry, those things are not considered magic," he countered.

Draco's eyes quickly told her not to say anything else, so she continued to pick around her plate. To make it look as if she were actually eating, she would hide bits and pieces in her napkin, which she stuffed in her pocket. She was relieved when Draco stood up and they left the family to their meal.

She had told Draco she was very tired, and excused herself to her room. She locked the door, being wary of Draco's parents, and took out the napkin. Dafnie remembered Draco tell her if she ever needed Dobby for anything, all she had to do was say his name.

"Dobby," she whispered. The elf appeared before her, looking as if he were expecting a beating.

She held out her hand. "Here, this is for you. I couldn't leave it on my plate, because they would have known I was saving it for you."

Dobby looked up at her. "Dobby has never received more food from any master," he whimpered.

"It's the least I could do," she smiled. She was horrified when instead of graciously taking the leftovers, Dobby burst into tears.

"Dobby! Shhh! It's okay!" she pleaded until the elf stopped his crying.

"Dobby is sorry, Miss. Dobby will just say Dobby was punishing himself," he said.

"That's horrible!"

"Dobby is used to it, Miss," he said sadly.

She looked at the poor thing and wished she could take him out of this crazy house. The house-elf was covered in cuts and bruises, and his hands had bandages covering his knuckles.

She reached out and placed the leftovers in his hand. "It's the least I could do," she said with a small smile. "It will be our little secret."

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

The next morning, Dafnie woke up to Draco shaking her shoulders. "Wake up, Dafnie! We're going to Diagon Alley today! Breakfast is waiting at the table," he said when she opened her eyes.

"Good morning to you, too," she mumbled.

"And don't come down in any of your Muggle clothes. Mother would be awfully offended."

"All right, I'll be down shortly," she snapped. Draco nodded and left the room so she could get ready in private. She looked in the wardrobe and sighed; all of her clothes would be considered offensive to Draco's parents. She reached in and pulled out her Hogwarts uniform and robes. She took a quick shower and pulled her uniform on. It was a tad loose on her, for she hadn't really eaten too much while she was home. She missed the food that Hogwarts served, and her mother's cooking was nowhere near as delicious as the school's.

Hoping that she looked acceptable, she went down the stairs to the dining room where she found the rest of the family already sitting there eating. She sat in between Draco and Abraxas and looked into Draco's father's staring eyes.

"Good morning," she said.

"Good morning," Lucius smirked.

She started to nibble at her toast as Lucius began explaining the day's schedule. He would be taking Draco, Abraxas, and Dafnie to get their school supplies. Dafnie was relieved at the fact that her father had already given her money for spending before she left. They quickly finished their breakfast and their plates disappeared.

"Children, you will be arriving in Knockturn Alley first, and you will not move an inch until I retrieve you," Lucius said, handing them each a pinch of Floo Powder.

"Knockturn Alley?" Dafnie repeated.

"Yes, Knockturn Alley. I have some business to attend to before I take you all shopping. Perhaps if you would have been down for breakfast on time, you would have known this," he snapped.

She opened her mouth to say something before she closed it, knowing better than to ask any more ridiculous questions.

Abraxas was the first to throw the powder into the fireplace. The green flames rose and he stepped into them. "Knockturn Alley!" he said, and then disappeared.

"Dafnie, you next," Draco muttered.

Dafnie tossed the powder into the fireplace and stepped in. "Knockturn Alley!"

The familiar sensation of spinning around and around suddenly overcame her. She closed her eyes and waited for the spinning to stop. When it finally ended, she stumbled into a dark room where she found Abraxas waiting. He grinned at her when she stopped in front of him.

"Not a fan of the Floo?" he asked.

"No, not really," she smiled.

Draco appeared moments later, brushing the ash from his cloak. "I absolutely hate the Floo."

"Draco, where are we?" Dafnie asked, looking around. It looked like an abandoned store. Everything was covered in cobwebs and had a thick layer of dust covering the floor.

"It's just one of the connections within the Floo Network. Father always uses this one; he says it's less conspicuous."

Dafnie shuddered. If this place was considered _less conspicuous_, then she could only imagine what kind of shops made up Knockturn Alley.

"What books do we even need this year anyway?" he asked a few minutes later.

She reached into her robe pocket and pulled out her Hogwarts letter she had received a week before. "It says we need _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 _by Miranda Goshawk, _Break with a Banshee _by Gilderoy Lockhart, _Gadding with Ghouls _by Gilderoy Lockhart, _Holidays with Hags _by Gilderoy Lockhart, _Travels with Trolls _by Gilderoy Lockhart, _Voyages with Vampires _by Gilderoy Lockhart, _Wanderings with Werewolves _by Gilderoy Lockhart, and _Year of the Yeti _by Gilderoy Lockhart. Lockhart must be some expert on dark creatures."

"He _thinks _he's an expert," Abraxas snorted as Lucius Malfoy appeared right in front of them.

"Quickly, now, we must go to Borgin and Burke's before we head to Diagon Alley," he said, leading them out of the old, dusty shop and around the corner to a shop just as creepy looking as the one they had just left.

The counter was covered in human bones. Evil-looking masks hung on the walls, and rusty weapons dangled from the ceiling. She could have sworn that a cabinet door had just closed by itself, but then she remembered what kind of a shop she was in.

Lucius swaggered up to the counter and rang the bell before her turned to the three children. "Touch nothing."

Draco, who was reaching for a glass eye, looked at his father. "I thought you were going to buy me a present today."

"I said I would buy you a racing broom."

"What's the point if I'm not on the House team? Harry Potter got a Nimbus Two Thousand last year. Special permission from Dumbledore so he could play for Gryffindor. He's not even that good, it's just because he's famous... Famous for having a stupid scar on his forehead..."

Dafnie and Abraxas exchanged exasperated looks as Draco had bent over to look at a shelf of skulls.

"...Everyone thinks he's so smart, wonderful Potter with his stupid scar and broomstick-"

"You have said this at least a dozen times, Draco," Lucius hissed. "And I would remind you that it is not prudent to appear less than fond of Potter, not when most of our kind regard him as the hero that made the Dark Lord disappear- Ah, Mr. Borgin."

A man that had a slight humpback came from the backroom to the counter.

"Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again," he said in a greasy voice that made Dafnie's insides twist in discomfort. "Delighted- and Master Malfoy and Master Lestrange, too- charmed. But who is this young girl?" Mr. Borgin eyed her up and down.

"Dafnie Ricamry," she said.

"Miss Ricamry, what a pleasure," he bowed his head before running his hand through his greasy hair. "I do say, you remind me of someone-"

"Mr. Borgin, if you don't mind, I am in a hurry and would appreciate if we got back to business," Lucius snapped irritably.

"I'm sorry, sir, how may I be of assistance? I must show you, just in today and very reasonably priced-"

"I'm not buying today, Mr. Borgin, but selling," Lucius said.

"Selling?" Mr. Borgin's face fell slightly.

"You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids," Lucius said, taking a roll of parchment from the inside of his cloak and unraveling it for the greasy man to read. "I have a few -ah- _items_ at home that might embarrass me, if the Ministry were to call..."

Mr. Borgin's face scrunched up as he read the list. "The Ministry wouldn't presume to trouble you, sir, surely?"

"I have not been visited yet. The name _Malfoy_ still commands a certain respect, yet the Ministry grows ever more meddlesome. There are rumors about a new Muggle Protection Act- no doubt that flea-bitten, Muggle-loving fool Arthur Weasley is behind it, and as you see, certain of these poisons might make it appear-"

"I understand, sir, of course. Let me see..." Mr. Borgin said.

Draco, who had long abandoned interest in the adults' conversation and had begun wandering around the store, stopped and pointed at an old, withering hand on a cushion. "Can I have that?" he asked casually?

"Ah, the Hand of Glory!" Mr. Borgin exclaimed, setting the list down and walking over to the blonde boy. "Insert a candle and it only gives light to the holder! Best friend of thieves and plunderers! Your son has fine taste, sir."

"I hope my son will amount to more than a thief or a plunderer, Borgin," Lucius snapped coldly.

"No offense, sir, no offense meant-"

"Though if his grades don't pick up, that may indeed be all he is fit for," Lucius darted his eyes at his son.

"It's not _my _fault!" Draco sneered. "The teachers all have favorites, that Hermione Granger-"

"I would have thought you'd be ashamed that a girl of no wizard family beat you in every exam."

Dafnie looked down at the floor, wishing that she were anywhere but that very store.

"It's the same all over," Mr. Borgin said. "Wizard blood is counting for less everywhere-"

"_Not with me_," Lucius snarled.

"No, sir, nor with me, sir," Mr. Borgin bowed.

"In that case, perhaps we could get back to my list. I am in something of a hurry, Borgin. I have important business elsewhere today..."

The two men started to negotiate and the three children returned to their looking around. Draco had stopped in front of an opal necklace and smirked. Dafnie read the card that was propped up next to it: _Caution: Do Not Touch. Cursed- Has Claimed the Lives of Nineteen Muggles to Date_.

"Amused, are you?" she asked coolly.

Draco ignored her and turned to the cabinet in front of them. He started to walk towards it reached for the handle.

"Done," Lucius said at the counter. "Come, children."

Dafnie, Draco, and Abraxas walked over to their guardian.

"Good day to you, Mr. Borgin. I'll expect you at the manor tomorrow to pick up the goods."

Borgin bowed his head as his guests left the store, and Dafnie felt extremely thankful to be out of there.

"Now, Diagon Alley," Lucius said. "I will be leaving the three of you there for a bit while I run a few more errands. I shall expect to meet you at Flourish and Blotts within the hour."

Abraxas, Draco, and Dafnie all nodded their heads in understanding as they reached Diagon Alley, a place that felt more welcome than the area they had just vacated.

The first shop that they entered was the Quidditch store, by Draco's demands of course. He was practically drooling at the sight of the new Nimbus Two Thousand One.

"What's the point of having a broom at Hogwarts if you're not on the team?" Abraxas asked.

Draco shot his cousin a dirty look. "I'm not on the team _yet_, but I will be. Then we'll see who the better Seeker is."

"Draco, if you have a crush on Potter, then you should just tell us. We won't judge you... Well, we'll _try _not to," Dafnie joked. Abraxas held back a laugh with a slight cough as Draco's face turned red.

They then went to Madame Malkin's so Dafnie could get her robes refitted. It didn't take too long, and the three were off to buy more ingredients for Potions class that they would need that year.

After they had everything they needed, they made their way to Flourish and Blotts. When they got to the door, they saw that they weren't the only ones in the shop. In fact, there was a crowd of people outside the door that were trying to make their way in. Dafnie looked up at the upper windows and found out what the commotion was all about. A large banner read _GILDEROY LOCKHART will be signing copies of his autobiography MAGICAL ME today at 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m._

"Well, isn't this just great," Draco huffed as the three squeezed in through the door. A long line was snaked from the front of the shop to the back, most of them being middle-aged witches.

Lucius appeared at the door and with a quick look, gestured the three to the far corner of the shop, where they could be out of the way of the nonsense. They watched as more witches and wizards and children pushed their way through the shop.

Gilderoy Lockhart slowly came into the room and sat at a table surrounded by portraits of him. His portraits were beaming and winking at the crowd. Lockhart wore robes of forget-me-not blue that matched his eyes perfectly, and on top of his wavy, blonde hair sat a pointy wizard's hat.

A short, irritated looking man was taking photographs of Lockhart at every angle possible. Dafnie heard him yelling at someone up in front, but she couldn't see whom.

Lockhart looked up and started at the direction that the photographer was. Suddenly, he stood up, beaming. "It can't be Harry Potter?" he shouted. The crowd started to whisper and spread out amongst themselves, and Dafnie saw that Harry Potter was indeed standing up there with the Weasley family and Hermione Granger. Lockhart quickly snatched Harry and pulled him to the front of the table, causing the crowd to burst into applause. Draco and his father scoffed as if they were watching something incredibly disgusting.

The photographer bounced back and forth, taking pictures enthusiastically, causing a thick cloud of smoke to waft over the crowd. Lockhart beamed proudly as he shook Harry's hand furiously, while the boy looked as if he wished he were anywhere but there. When he was finally released, Harry attempted to walk back to where he was previously standing until Lockhart threw an arm over Harry's shoulders.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said loudly. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time!"

"Please let it be early retirement," Dafnie muttered under her breath. She could tell that she did not like this man at all.

"When young Harry stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted my autobiography- which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge-" The crowd applauded. "He had no idea that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, _Magical Me_. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" The crowd went wild, clapping and cheering a little too loudly for Dafnie's tastes, and Harry was presented with a large stack of every single one of Lockhart's books.

Draco was already moving and pushing his way through the crowd to get to Harry as he stepped back into the crowd. Knowing she would have to split the two up, Dafnie followed behind her friend.

"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter?" Draco sneered. "Famous Harry Potter. Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."

"Leave him alone he didn't want all that!" a red headed girl about a year younger than Dafnie said, glaring at Draco.

"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" he drawled. The girl went beat red as Ron and Hermione pushed their way forward, carrying Lockhart's books. Dafnie nodded at them in greeting, and they nodded back.

"Oh, it's you," Ron said, eyeing Draco nastily. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"

"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," Draco retorted. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those."

Ron went as red as the girl, who Dafnie presumed to be Ron's sister, and dropped his books into the girl's cauldron. Abraxas and Dafnie quickly grabbed the back of Draco's cloak as Harry and Hermione did the same to Ron.

"Ron!" a man with red hair and glasses said, struggling over with the Weasley twins. "What are you doing? It's too crowded in here, let's go outside."

"Well, well, well - Arthur Weasley," Lucius had appeared next to Dafnie, a hand on Draco's shoulder and a sneer on his face.

"Lucius," Mr. Weasley nodded indifferently.

"Busy times at the Ministry, I hear. All those raids... I hope they're paying you overtime," Lucius said, reaching into the red headed girl's cauldron and pulled out a very old and battered copy of _A Beginner's Guide to Transformation_.

"Obviously not," he continued. "What's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

Mr. Weasley flushed a deep shade of red. "We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy."

"Clearly," Lucius said, looking over to where Mr. and Mrs. Granger were standing. "The company you keep, Weasley... and I thought your family could sink no lower-"

Mr. Weasley had had enough. He threw himself at Lucius, sending the youngest Weasley's cauldron flying and knocking Lucius back into a bookshelf. Spell books started falling heavily down on their heads. One of the twins had bellowed "Get him, Dad!" while Mrs. Weasley came running toward them shouting "No, Arthur, no!" and the crowded pushed themselves backwards, knocking more shelves over in the process.

"Gentlemen, please! Please!" the assistant cried. "Break it up, there gents, _break it up_!"

Hagrid walked his way through the numerous books and pulled the two men apart with no effort.

Mr. Weasley had cut his lip during the fight, and Lucius had a black eye from a heavy _Encyclopedia of Toadstools_. He was still holding the small girl's Transfiguration book. When he noticed, he shoved it back at her.

"Here, girl, take your book. It's the best your father can give you," he sneered, pulling himself free from Hagrid's grip. Beckoning to Dafnie, Abraxas, and Draco, he turned out and left the shop.

"Filthy Muggle-loving scum," Lucius muttered to nobody in particular as they left Diagon Alley.

~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~O~o~

The altercation between the two grown men made Dafnie realize that there was strong prejudice in the Wizarding world. She knew that some of the students she went to school with weren't so fond of Muggle-borns, but she honestly didn't think that the adults had stronger hate towards each other. It caused her to wonder if the two men had a horrible history together.

Her thoughts followed her to bed, keeping her up. Wanting her questions answered, she tip-toed out of her room and down the hallway to Draco's room, where she knew he would still be awake. Draco took advantage of late nights without worrying about getting up at a decent time. As she turned around the corner, she noticed that Draco's parents were still up; their door was cracked, leaving a sliver of light glowing in the hallway. Sinking into the wall across from their room, Dafnie slowly crept up the hallway.

"I don't want her here anymore, Lucius. The girl makes me uneasy in my own house," Narcissa was saying to her husband. Dafnie stopped in her tracks and listened quietly, wanting to hear the conversation about her.

"Narcissa, that is out of the question. She _has _to stay here," Lucius said.

"No, she doesn't. She can go back to her filthy Muggle parents." Dafnie's face began to flush at that remark.

"You mean her filthy, _adopted _Muggle parents. You can't deny that she is _his_-"

"_She _is gone. She's been gone since he has been."

"Severus said-"

"Just because Severus thinks she is, doesn't mean that she really is her."

"Narcissa, you can't deny it. She has his hair, his face, and those piercing eyes when she's displeased..."

"Then there's even more reason to not keep her around. I don't want Draco around the likes of her."

"He's already going to be angry at the fact that his daughter was raised by Muggles. Do _you _want to be punished for not keeping her away from them when we can?"

"He's _gone_, Lucius-"

"He is for now! But he _will _return!"

Dafnie's heart raced as she heard footsteps approaching the door, where she knew one of them would see that she was eavesdropping on their conversation. She let out a sigh of relief when the door closed, leaving her in the dark hallway.

Quickly, she continued to Draco's room where she could see that his light was still on from the cracks under the door. She knocked quietly before she heard him get up and walk to the door.

"Dafnie, what are you still doing up?" he asked.

"Keep me company?" she whispered.

He examined her for a moment before he stepped aside to let her in. She sat on his bed as he closed the door and sat next to her.

"Something bothering you?" he asked.

She considered which of the two things were bothering her the most before she sighed and looked up.

"Who am I?" she finally asked.

Draco's face became puzzled. "You're Dafnie Ricamry, of course. Have you gone mad?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I know who I am... Well, at least I _thought _I knew who I was."

Draco became even more confused so Dafnie explained what she had overheard on her way over. If her friend knew what she was talking about, he was doing a good job pretending to be oblivious.

"You mean my parents think you're one of us?" he finally asked.

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"You know, not a Mudblood. Sorry," he apologized as she glared at him.

"But they said that my father would not be pleased if your parents didn't allow me to be here."

Draco became uneasy and didn't reply.

"What? What is it, Draco?"

"Well, there is a rumor that the Dark Lord fathered a child. They say the child disappeared when he did. But it's just a rumor, nobody really knows the true story," he said, adding the last part a bit quickly.

Dafnie's blood went cold. "You mean to say, your parents knew Voldemort?"

"Don't say his name! It's forbidden in this house!"

"That doesn't answer my question," she said seriously.

Draco looked away. "Don't think bad of me or my parents... It was a dark time, and the Dark Lord promised protection to his followers..."

Dafnie's eyes grew big. "So they would know better than most people... Wait, Draco, I have another question."

"Well, spit it out," he said impatiently, already bothered by the questions she was asking.

"Your parents mentioned Professor Snape. Was he one of the Dark Lord's followers, too?"

"I don't know, Dafnie! He and my father have been friends since they were in Hogwarts together!"

"Then how would he know who I am?" she asked quietly.

Draco stretched his arms out and let out an over-exaggerated yawn. "Dafnie, I'm tired. I'd like to sleep now."

Dafnie stood up and sighed as she said good night and started her journey back to her room. If Draco wouldn't answer her questions directly, she would have to wait until she got back to Hogwarts.


End file.
